REDUCED ECHOGENICITY OF BRAIN-STEM RAPHE SPECIFIC TO UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION - A TRANSCRANIAL COLOR-CODED REAL-TIME SONOGRAPHY STUDY

Echogenicity of the brainstem raphe was assessed in patients with majo r depression, bipolar affective disorders, and schizophrenia and compa red with healthy adults employing transcranial color-coded real-time s onography. Ferry probands were enrolled in each group, A highly signif icant reduction in raphe echogenicity was detected only in patients su ffering from major depression. Echogenicity of the raphe was independe nt of age or sex and did not correlate with severity of the depressive syndrome or patient state. These findings are suggestive of structura l desintegration of the brainstem raphe in unipolar depression, an ana tomical region assumed to be a biological focus in the pathogenesis of depressive syndromes.