BRAIN IMAGING INVESTIGATIONS OF UNIPOLAR DEPRESSED PATIENTS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 目的：本研究将探讨单相情绪障碍受试者体内是否存在特殊的神经化学和形态计量学异常，以及它们是否参与了这种疾病的病理生理学过程。我们还将检查这一患者群体中潜在的体内大脑与既往自杀行为的相关性。 研究计划：我们将调查30名未经药物治疗的单相患者(15名抑郁症患者和15名缓解期患者)和30名年龄、性别、教育水平和种族匹配的健康对照组的局部脑肌醇和血小板膜磷脂酰肌醇水平。除此之外，我们还将检查涉及情绪调节的关键大脑区域的大脑形态计量学，试图确定它们与疾病症状的关系。我们还将通过比较有过自杀企图的患者和没有自杀企图的患者来检查自杀行为的大脑相关性。 方法：所有受试者均接受1.5T质子MIR/MRS脑扫描，以定量测定位于额叶皮质、内侧颞叶和基底节的8cc脑体素中肌醇的含量。同时，受试者提供了一种血样，用于膜磷脂的血小板测定，这是用二维薄层层析，然后扫描激光密度法完成的。这项研究将有助于更好地了解情绪障碍背后的生化脑功能障碍，并最终指导未来为这些疾病开发新的治疗方法。 临床意义：这项研究将允许检查在抑郁和情绪障碍的病理生理学中涉及的磷酸肌醇(PI)通路的异常。它还将允许检查参与情绪调节的特定大脑区域在情绪障碍的病理生理学中的解剖参与。它还可能有助于开发新的方法来识别自杀风险较高的抑郁症单相患者。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. OBJECTIVE: This study will examine the existence of particular in vivo neurochemical and morphometric brain abnormalities in unipolar mood disorder subjects, and their potential involvement in the pathophysiology of this illness. We will also examine potential in vivo brain correlates of prior suicidal behavior in this patient population. RESEARCH PLAN: We will investigate regional brain myo-inositol and platelet membrane phosphoinositide levels in 30 unmedicated unipolar patients (15 depressed and 15 in the remitted state) and 30 age, sex, educational level, and race-matched healthy controls. In addition to that, we will examine brain morphometry of key brain regions involved in mood regulation, to attempt to determine their relationship with illness symptoms. We will also examine brain correlates of suicide behavior by comparing patients with prior suicide attempts and the ones without such attempts. METHODS: All subjects undergo a 1.5T proton MIR/MRS brain scan, which allows the quantitation of myoinositol in 8cc brain voxels located in the frontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, and basal ganglia. At the same time, subjects provide a blood sample for platelet determination of membrane phosphoinositides, which is done with two-dimensional thin layer chromatography, followed by scanning laser densitometry. This research holds substantial promise to contribute to a better understanding of the biochemical brain dysfunction underlying mood disorders, and ultimately guide future efforts towards the development of new treatments for these conditions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study will allow examination of involvement of abnormalities in the phosphoinositol (PI) pathway in pathophysiology of depression and mood disorders. It will also allow examination of anatomical involvement of specific brain regions participating in mood regulation in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. It could also possibly aid in development of new ways to identify depressed unipolar patients at high risk for suicide.