BACKGROUND: The frequent comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suggests a fundamental relationship between them. We sought to determine whether MDD and OCD have unique cerebral metabolic patterns that remain the same when they coexist as when they occur independently. METHODS: [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans were obtained on 27 subjects with OCD alone, 27 with MDD alone, 17 with concurrent OCD+MDD, and 17 normal control subjects, all in the untreated state. Regional cerebral glucose metabolism was compared between groups. RESULTS: Left hippocampal metabolism was significantly lower in subjects with MDD alone and in subjects with concurrent OCD+MDD than in control subjects or subjects with OCD alone. Hippocampal metabolism was negatively correlated with depression severity across all subjects. Thalamic metabolism was significantly elevated in OCD alone and in MDD alone. Subjects with concurrent OCD+MDD had significantly lower metabolism in thalamus, caudate, and hippocampus than subjects with OCD alone. CONCLUSIONS: Left hippocampal dysfunction was associated with major depressive episodes, regardless of primary diagnosis. Other cerebral metabolic abnormalities found in OCD and MDD occurring separately were not seen when the disorders coexisted. Depressive episodes occurring in OCD patients may be mediated by different basal ganglia-thalamic abnormalities than in primary MDD patients.
BACKGROUND: The frequent comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suggests a fundamental relationship between them. We sought to determine whether MDD and OCD have unique cerebral metabolic patterns that remain the same when they coexist as when they occur independently. METHODS: [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans were obtained on 27 subjects with OCD alone, 27 with MDD alone, 17 with concurrent OCD+MDD, and 17 normal control subjects, all in the untreated state. Regional cerebral glucose metabolism was compared between groups. RESULTS: Left hippocampal metabolism was significantly lower in subjects with MDD alone and in subjects with concurrent OCD+MDD than in control subjects or subjects with OCD alone. Hippocampal metabolism was negatively correlated with depression severity across all subjects. Thalamic metabolism was significantly elevated in OCD alone and in MDD alone. Subjects with concurrent OCD+MDD had significantly lower metabolism in thalamus, caudate, and hippocampus than subjects with OCD alone. CONCLUSIONS:Left hippocampal dysfunction was associated with major depressive episodes, regardless of primary diagnosis. Other cerebral metabolic abnormalities found in OCD and MDD occurring separately were not seen when the disorders coexisted. Depressive episodes occurring in OCDpatients may be mediated by different basal ganglia-thalamic abnormalities than in primary MDDpatients.
Authors: Margaret A Richter; Danilo R de Jesus; Sylco Hoppenbrouwers; Melissa Daigle; Jasna Deluce; Lakshmi N Ravindran; Paul B Fitzgerald; Zafiris J Daskalakis Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2011-12-14 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: Christopher J Christian; Todd Lencz; Delbert G Robinson; Katherine E Burdick; Manzar Ashtari; Anil K Malhotra; Julia D Betensky; Philip R Szeszko Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2008-10-19 Impact factor: 3.222
Authors: Angelina R Sutin; Lori L Beason-Held; Vonetta M Dotson; Susan M Resnick; Paul T Costa Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2010-12 Impact factor: 4.839
Authors: Anne J Blood; Dan V Iosifescu; Nikos Makris; Roy H Perlis; David N Kennedy; Darin D Dougherty; Byoung Woo Kim; Myung Joo Lee; Shirley Wu; Sang Lee; Jesse Calhoun; Steven M Hodge; Maurizio Fava; Bruce R Rosen; Jordan W Smoller; Gregory P Gasic; Hans C Breiter Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-11-29 Impact factor: 3.240