Neural Correlates in Patients with Major Affective Disorders: An fMRI Study

Title:Neural Correlates in Patients with Major Affective Disorders: An fMRI Study

Volume: 16 Issue: 8

Author(s): Gianluca Serafini, Maurizio Pompili*, Andrea Romano, Denise Erbuto, Dorian A. Lamis, Marta Moraschi, Maria Camilla Rossi Espagnet, Mario Amore, Paolo Girardi and Alessandro Bozzao

Affiliation:

• Department of Neurosciences, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome, Rome,Italy

Keywords: Affective temperaments, fMRI, hopelessness, major affective disorders, neural correlates, suicide risk.

Abstract: Background & Objective: Brain areas of functional activation during emotional stimuli and their correlations with affective temperaments evaluated using Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS-A) and hopelessness levels assessed with the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) have been investigated.

Method: Brain activity in response to emotional stimuli was examined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (NMR BOLD) signal. Seventeen subjects (mean age ± SD = 57 ± 12), diagnosed with major affective disorders and eighteen healthy controls (HC) (mean age ± SD = 50±11) participated in this study. Higher functional activation of the left amygdala and cingulated gyrus was found in subjects with affective disorders; whereas, the right amygdala was mostly activated in the HC group. Higher BHS scores were associated with reduced BOLD activation throughout the primary somatosensorial cortex and left post-central gyrus.

Conclusion: Conversely, increased BOLD activation throughout the parietal superior lobule and right anterior intraperietal sulcus, occipital cortex, and left optical radiation, right insular cortex, right frontal superior gyrus was correlated with higher BHS total scores. Future studies should investigate the nature of the associations among brain activation, suicide risk, and affective temperaments in larger samples.

Cite this article as:

Serafini Gianluca , Pompili Maurizio *, Romano Andrea , Erbuto Denise , Lamis A. Dorian , Moraschi Marta , Rossi Espagnet Camilla Maria, Amore Mario , Girardi Paolo and Bozzao Alessandro , Neural Correlates in Patients with Major Affective Disorders: An fMRI Study, CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets 2017; 16 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871527316666170803143006