Abstract
Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) show predominant negative blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses (NBRs) in regions of the default-mode network such as the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the posterior cingulate cortex. Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) show emotional–cognitive disturbances, which have been associated with alterations within the default-mode network. However, it remains unclear whether these default-mode network alterations are related to abnormalities in NBRs. We therefore investigated neural activity in the default-mode network during different emotional tasks in patients with MDD in an event-related fMRI design. MDD patients showed significantly reduced NBRs in several regions of the default-mode network. Decreased NBRs in MDD patients correlated with depression severity and feelings of hopelessness. In sum, our findings demonstrate that default-mode network NBRs are reduced in MDD and modulate these patients' abnormally negative emotions.
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Acknowledgements
The study was supported by a Heisenberg grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG, 304/4-1 to GN), the Swiss National Research Foundation (3100A0-100830) to GN and HB, a grant of the Research Foundation at the University of Zurich, Organon, Switzerland, to GN and HB, a grant of the Salus Foundation Sachsen Anhalt/Germany to GN, a grant from ETH Zurich (SEP) and Philips Medical Systems, Best, NL, to PB, the Hartmann-Müller-Foundation to HB/GN, the Gebert-Rüf-Foundation to HB/GN, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF-01GWSO61 to FB) as well as a grant from the Hope of Depression Research Foundation (HDRF/ISAN) to GN.
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Grimm, S., Boesiger, P., Beck, J. et al. Altered Negative BOLD Responses in the Default-Mode Network during Emotion Processing in Depressed Subjects. Neuropsychopharmacol 34, 932–943 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2008.81
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2008.81
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