Cited by 104Treatment of Major DepressionAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Successful Pharmacologic Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder Attenuates Amygdala Activation to Negative Facial Expressions: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Ruhé, Henricus G., Booij, Jan, Veltman, Dick J., Michel, Martin C., Schene, Aart H.·2012·The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Studies of the effects of pharmacotherapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) on limbic-subcortical-prefrontal brain networks show variable results. We quantified functional changes in the amygdala and the related limbic-subcortical-prefrontal structures after paroxetine treatment with functional magnetic resonance imaging relative to clinical responder status. METHOD: We scanned 22 patients with unipolar, DSM-IV-defined MDD (men and women aged 25-55 years; 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HDRS(17)] score > 18) at study entry and after 6 (T0) and 12 (T1) weeks of paroxetine treatment. Our paradigm contrasted negative (fearful, angry), happy, and neutral faces relative to scrambled faces. Twenty-one age-matched (± 2.5 y) and sex-matched controls were scanned once. Patients received open-label paroxetine 20 mg/d for 6 weeks (T0). Nonresponders at T0 were randomly assigned to receive double-blind true dose escalation (paroxetine 30-50 mg/d) or placebo dose escalation for another 6 weeks (T1). The study was conducted from July 2005 to February 2007. RESULTS: At study entry, MDD patients showed increased ventral/limbic and decreased dorsal prefrontal activations to negative faces. At T0 and T1, respectively, 5/20 and 13/20 patients responded to paroxetine. After 12 weeks (at T1), overall amygdala activations remained unchanged relative to study entry. However, amygdala activations were significantly lower in treatment responders versus nonresponders (P = .001). Amygdala activations correlated with HDRS(17) scores (P < .04). Left amygdala activation correlated inversely with pregenual anterior cingulate cortex activation (P = .001). Dorsal cingulate gyrus and dorsolateral prefrontal activations increased after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment, regardless of clinical response. CONCLUSIONS: Successful paroxetine treatment decreases amygdala activation, presumably by improved frontolimbic control, in line with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced increased functional connectivity between the pregenual anterior cingulated cortex, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. Changes in amygdala activation when processing negative faces might serve as an indicator for improved frontolimbic control, which is required for clinical response. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN identifier: ISRCTN44111488.

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Crossref · 10.4088/jcp.10m06584

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  • Amygdala reactivity to negative affective stimuli is a marker of negative affective bias in depression.

    “Amygdala reac vity to nega ve informa on is a marker of nega ve affec ve processes in depression that is reduced by an depressant medica on.”

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Authors
Ruhé, H. G., Booij, J., Veltman, D. J., Michel, M. C., & Schene, A. H.
Affiliations
  • Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
  • Amsterdam Neuroscience (NL)
Corresponding author
Ruhé, Henricus G.
Venue
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Published
2011-08-09
Volume
73
Issue
04
Pages
451-459
ISSN
0160-6689 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2090519430
Cited by
104
References
0
Citations by year
2025: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 5
FWCI
4.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion)
  • Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
major depressive disorder, paroxetine, amygdala activation, negative facial expressions, treatment response, prefrontal cortex, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, functional connectivity, depression biomarkers, dose escalation
MeSH terms
Adult, Amygdala, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Double-Blind Method, Facial Expression, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Paroxetine, Functional Neuroimaging

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