Ventricular enlargement and caudate hyperdensity in elderly depressives.

Twenty-five elderly patients (mean age 73 years, range 61-88 years) with major depression underwent cranial computed tomography (CT). The findings were compared with healthy age- and sex-matched controls. The radiodensity of the left and right heads of the caudate was significantly higher in the depressed patients (p less than 0.05). The third ventricle was significantly enlarged (p less than 0.05); this effect did not reach statistical significance for the lateral ventricles. Ventricle size in the patient sample increased with age, duration of illness, and number of depressive episodes. This effect was largely age-driven for the third ventricle. Enlargement of the anterior horns appeared to be primarily influenced by the combined effects of early onset and bipolarity of illness. Densitometric measurements of the grey and white matter did not show significant correlations with age, number, or frequency of depressive episodes, age of onset, or duration of illness.