Adolescent depression and brain development: evidence from voxel-based morphometry

Article Figures & Tables

Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
Fig. 1
Left: Results of the whole-brain regression analysis over the entire group of participants (n = 103); p < 0.001 at the voxel level, p_FWE < 0.05 at the cluster level. Right: Correlation of individual grey-matter volume (estimated relative concentration) and age at the global maximum of the age effect, with depressed participants and healthy controls in different colour coding. FWE = family-wise error; MNI, Montreal Neurological Institute.
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
Fig. 2
Differential effect with greater grey-matter volumes (relative concentration) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of depressed participants (n = 60) compared to matched healthy controls (n = 43). Whole-brain analysis, thresholded p < 0.001 at the voxel level, p_FWE < 0.05 at the cluster level. FWE = family-wise error.

Table 1

Demographic and clinical characteristics of study participants

Characteristic	Depressed patients (n = 60)	Healthy controls (n = 43)	Group differences
Sex, no. (%)	48 F (80)	38 F (88.4)	NS^*
BDI-II score, mean ± SD	24.31 ± 10.37	3.07 ± 3.44	t₇₄ = 14.66, p < 0.001
Age, yr, mean ± SD (range)	17.30 ± 3.44 (13–27)	17.62 ± 3.85 (12–27)	t₁₀₁ = −0.44, p = 0.66
Secondary diagnosis, no.^†	Anorexia nervosa: 2 Social phobia: 6 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: 4 Socialized conduct disorder: 3 Specific phobia: 2 Borderline personality disorder: 1	—	—
Handedness, no. (%)^‡	58 right-handed (96.7)	40 right-handed (93)	NS^*
Intake of psychotropic medication currently or in the past > 2 months, no.^§	Antidepressant (mirtazepine: 3; fluoxetine: 2; escitalopram: 2; sertraline: 3) Antipsychotic (quetiapine: 1) Psychostimulant (methylphenidate: 4)	—	—
Education level, no.^¶	Hauptschule: 10 Realschule: 23 Gymnasium: 20 Berufsschule: 5 Missing: 2	Hauptschule: 5 Realschule: 13 Gymnasium: 22 Berufsschule: 3	NS^*

NS = not significant; SD = standard deviation.
↵* χ² test.
↵† Diagnosis according to DSM-IV; n = 18.
↵‡ Edinburgh Handedness Inventory; a independent sample t test.
↵§ n = 13.
↵¶ A Gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education, comparable to English grammar schools and United States college preparatory high schools. Hauptschule and Realschule are secondary schools. Berufsschule is a professional school that students attend along with an apprenticeship.