Delineating the anatomical correlates of neurocognitive and psychomotor dysfunction in depression by fMRI

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Severe depression is characterised by slowing of mental and motor abilities. Previous research by our group indicates the role of small frontal and basal brain regions in the regulation of these abilities. This research will extend our previous studies by providing new information detailing the underlying physiology of behavioural and structural abnormalities in patients with severe depression. Emerging research by our group and others suggest that some types of severe depression in later life are due to undetected forms of cerebrovascular disease. If we are able to demonstrate that the key features of severe depression of this type (psychomotor, attentional, memory and executive disturbance and global disability) are related to such brain changes this may lead to a major breakthrough in the prevention and treatment of these disorders. A new type of brain imaging technology called 'functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging' (fMRI) permits simultaneous investigation of the structure and function of small areas of the brain. As the technique does not use radiation and can be performed while the patient is completing mental tasks, it can be used in repeated experiments. Consequently, it permits description of brain changes (areas of activation) that occur during specific mental tasks. Therefore, if we are now able to use this technique to extend our previous clinical and imaging studies we will be able to test whether some forms of late-life depression are due to undetected brain changes.