Neural correlates of plasma acylated ghrelin level in individuals with mood disorders

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There was no significant difference in plasma acylated ghrelin level between patients with major depressive disorder(MDD) and healthy subjects. In the MDD group, ghrelin levels positively correlated with the severity of reduced appetite. Ghrelin levels negatively correlated with gray matter volume of the ventral tegmental area(VTA) in the total sample. The patients with MDD showed significantly smaller VTA gray matter volume compared to healthy subjects. Our findings suggest that plasma acylated ghrelin is associated with neural abnormalities of the pleasure/ reward system and may be involved in the pathophysiology of MDD.