PET measurements of brain glucose metabolism and blood flow in major depressive disorder: a critical review
Abstract
Objective: To show that PET investigations of brain function in patients with major depression can contribute with valuable pathophysiological knowledge about brain function of these states. Methods: PET studies of cerebral blood flow or glucose metabolism in patients with unipolar or bipolar depression were reviewed. Results: The studies have great discrepancies related to sample size, subject selection, imaging protocol and image analysis. In spite of this shortcoming, there is evidence that patients with major depression have reduced blood flow and metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, particularly when they exhibit psychomotor retardation. Abnormalities are also found in the anterior cingulate gyrus and the basal ganglia. A few studies point to the possibility that response to antidepressant treatment can be predicted from PET scans. Conclusion: This evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that depressive symptoms are caused by dysfunction of regions of the limbic system and the frontal lobes in close connection with the basal ganglia.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
PET examination has reported decreased blood flow and impaired glucose metabolism in the caudate nucleus, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex of patients with depression.
“PET examination has reported decreased blood flow and impaired glucose metabolism in the caudate nucleus, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex of patients with depression [14, 17].”
From APOE4 genotype exacerbates the depression-like behavior of mice during aging through ATP decline (2021) · cites this paper as [14]
One essential pathophysiological feature of depression is energy metabolism disorders.
“One essential pathophysiological feature of depression is energy metabolism disorders [14–16].”
From APOE4 genotype exacerbates the depression-like behavior of mice during aging through ATP decline (2021) · cites this paper as [14]
Patients with major depressive disorder have decreased glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), dorsal anterior cingulated cortex (dACC).
“Accumulating evidence suggests that patients with major depressive disorder have decreased glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), dorsal anterior cingulated cortex (dACC) [14].”
From APOE4 genotype exacerbates the depression-like behavior of mice during aging through ATP decline (2021) · cites this paper as [14]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Greicius, M. D., Flores, B. H., Menon, V., Glover, G. H., Solvason, H. B., Kenna, H., Reiss, A. L., & Schatzberg, A. F. (2007) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.020 · Cited by 2,214 · see citing works
Hippocampal volume and depression: a meta-analysis of MRI studies
Videbech, P., & Ravnkilde, B. (2004) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.161.11.1957 · Cited by 1,590 · see citing works
Self-citationMitochondria in neuroplasticity and neurological disorders
Mattson, M. P., Gleichmann, M., & Cheng, A. (2008) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2008.10.010 · Cited by 1,081 · see citing works
Kempton, M. J., Salvador, Z., Munafò, M. R., Geddes, J. R., Simmons, A., Frangou, S., & Williams, S. C. R. (2011) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.60 · Cited by 886 · see citing works
The neuropsychology and neuroanatomy of bipolar affective disorder: a critical review
Bearden, C. E., Hoffman, K. M., & Cannon, T. D. (2001) · Bipolar Disorders · doi:10.1034/j.1399-5618.2001.030302.x · Cited by 565 · see citing works
Aston, C., Jiang, L., & Sokolov, B. P. (2005) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001565 · Cited by 427 · see citing works
Self-referential processing, rumination, and cortical midline structures in major depression
Nejad, A. B., Fossati, P., & Lemogne, C. (2013) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00666 · Cited by 366 · see citing works
Nutt, D., Demyttenaere, K., Janka, Z., Aarre, T., Bourin, M., Canonico, P. L., Carrasco, J. L., & Stahl, S. (2007) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881106069938 · Cited by 366 · see citing works
Tremblay, L. K., Naranjo, C. A., Graham, S. J., Herrmann, N., Mayberg, H. S., Hevenor, S., & Busto, U. E. (2005) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.11.1228 · Cited by 340 · see citing works
Decreased Regional Brain Metabolism After ECT
Nobler, M. S., Oquendo, M. A., Kegeles, L. S., Malone, K. M., Campbell, C., Sackeim, H. A., & Mann, J. J. (2001) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.158.2.305 · Cited by 330 · see citing works
Dysfunction in the neural circuitry of emotional self-regulation in major depressive disorder
Beauregard, M., Paquette, V., & Le´vesque, J. (2006) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000220132.32091.9f · Cited by 254 · see citing works
Positron emission tomography imaging in depression: a neural systems perspective
Mayberg, H. S. (2003) · Neuroimaging Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/s1052-5149(03)00104-7 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
Fitzgerald, P. B., Oxley, T. J., Laird, A. R., Kulkarni, J., Egan, G. F., & Daskalakis, Z. J. (2006) · Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging · doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.04.006 · Cited by 254 · see citing works
The role of the brain reward system in depression
Naranjo, C. A., Tremblay, L. K., & Busto, U. E. (2001) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0278-5846(01)00156-7 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
The many roads to mitochondrial dysfunction in neuroimmune and neuropsychiatric disorders
Morris, G., & Berk, M. (2015) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0310-y · Cited by 245 · see citing works
An astroglial basis of major depressive disorder? An overview
Wang, Q., Jie, W., Liu, J., Yang, J., & Gao, T. (2017) · Glia · doi:10.1002/glia.23143 · Cited by 222 · see citing works
Chen, C.-H., Lennox, B., Jacob, R., Calder, A., Lupson, V., Bisbrown-Chippendale, R., Suckling, J., & Bullmore, E. (2006) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.06.008 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Shumake, J., Edwards, E., & Gonzalez-Lima, F. (2003) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/s0006-8993(02)04048-9 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
Deficiency of theory of mind in patients with remitted mood disorder
Inoue, Y., Tonooka, Y., Yamada, K., & Kanba, S. (2004) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2004.04.004 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Validating a functional near-infrared spectroscopy diagnostic paradigm for Major Depressive Disorder
Husain, S. F., Yu, R., Tang, T.-B., Tam, W. W., Tran, B., Quek, T. T., Hwang, S.-H., Chang, C. W., Ho, C. S., & Ho, R. C. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66784-2 · Cited by 213 · see citing works
Frontostriatal functional connectivity in major depressive disorder
Furman, D. J., Hamilton, J. P., & Gotlib, I. H. (2011) · Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders · doi:10.1186/2045-5380-1-11 · Cited by 208 · see citing works
Impairment across executive functions in recurrent major depression
Stordal, K. I., Lundervold, A. J., Egeland, J., Mykletun, A., Asbjørnsen, A., Landrø, N. I., Roness, A., Rund, B. R., Sundet, K., Oedegaard, K. J., et al. (2004) · Nordic Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/08039480310000789 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Zuccoli, G. S., Saia-Cereda, V. M., Nascimento, J. M., & Martins-de-Souza, D. (2017) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2017.00493 · Cited by 157 · see citing works
Videbech, P., Ravnkilde, B., Pedersen, T. H., Hartvig, H., Egander, A., Clemmensen, K., Rasmussen, N. A., Andersen, F., Gjedde, A., & Rosenberg, R. (2002) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1034/j.1600-0447.2002.02245.x · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Self-citationExecutive function improvement upon remission of recurrent unipolar depression
Biringer, E., Lundervold, A., Stordal, K., Mykletun, A., Egeland, J., Bottlender, R., & Lund, A. (2005) · European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience · doi:10.1007/s00406-005-0577-7 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Krüger, S., Seminowicz, D., Goldapple, K., Kennedy, S. H., & Mayberg, H. S. (2003) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(03)00691-7 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Somatic therapies for treatment-resistant depression: ECT, TMS, VNS, DBS
Cusin, C., & Dougherty, D. D. (2012) · Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders · doi:10.1186/2045-5380-2-14 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Otte, D.-M., Sommersberg, B., Kudin, A., Guerrero, C., Albayram, Ö., Filiou, M. D., Frisch, P., Yilmaz, Ö., Drews, E., Turck, C. W., et al. (2011) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2011.109 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
van der Kooij, M. A., Jene, T., Treccani, G., Miederer, I., Hasch, A., Voelxen, N., Walenta, S., & Müller, M. B. (2018) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1804412115 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Airaksinen, E., Wahlin, Å., Forsell, Y., & Larsson, M. (2007) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00932.x · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Morphological Brain Changes in Depression: Can Antidepressants Reverse Them?
Miguel-Hidalgo, J. J., & Rajkowska, G. (2002) · CNS Drugs · doi:10.2165/00023210-200216060-00001 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Suetens, K., Nuttin, B., Gabriëls, L., & Van Laere, K. (2014) · Journal of Nuclear Medicine · doi:10.2967/jnumed.113.126409 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Li, B., Zhang, S., Li, M., Hertz, L., & Peng, L. (2009) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-009-1631-3 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
APOE4 genotype exacerbates the depression-like behavior of mice during aging through ATP decline
Fang, W., Xiao, N., Zeng, G., Bi, D., Dai, X., Mi, X., Ye, Q., Chen, X., & Zhang, J. (2021) · Translational Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41398-021-01631-0 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Imaging synaptic density in depression
Holmes, S. E., Abdallah, C., & Esterlis, I. (2023) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/s41386-022-01368-4 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Ogawa, S., Ota, M., Ogura, J., Kato, K., & Kunugi, H. (2018) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-017-4743-1 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Dong, L., Li, B., Verkhratsky, A., & Peng, L. (2015) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-015-3921-2 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
van Belkum, S. M., Bosker, F. J., Kortekaas, R., Beersma, D. G. M., & Schoevers, R. A. (2016) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.07.006 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Functional brain abnormalities in major depressive disorder using the Hilbert-Huang transform
Yu, H., Li, F., Wu, T., Li, R., Yao, L., Wang, C., & Wu, X. (2018) · Brain Imaging and Behavior · doi:10.1007/s11682-017-9816-6 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Pauls, F., Petermann, F., & Lepach, A. C. (2013) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/13803395.2013.820257 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
- Authors
- Videbech, P.
- Corresponding author
- Videbech, P.
- ORCID
- Videbech, P.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2000-01
- Volume
- 101
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 11-20
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W2026904697
- Cited by
- 419
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 11.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- major depressive disorder, brain glucose metabolism, cerebral blood flow, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, basal ganglia, psychomotor retardation, bipolar depression, antidepressant treatment response prediction, limbic system dysfunction, frontal lobe dysfunction
- MeSH terms
- Basal Ganglia, Bipolar Disorder, Brain, Depressive Disorder, Female, Glucose, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Limbic System, Male, Regional Blood Flow, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Prefrontal Cortex
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
