CEREBRAL PERFUSION CORRELATES OF DEPRESSED MOOD

Background The spontaneous diurnal variation of mood and other symptom s provides a substrate for the examination of the relationship between symptoms and regional brain activation in depression. Method Twenty u nipolar depressed patients with diurnal variation of mood were examine d at 8 a.m, and 8 p.m, with neuropsychological measures, clinical rati ngs and single photon emission tomography (SPET). Brain perfusion maps were spatially transformed into standard stereotactic space and compa red pixel-by-pixel. A parametric (correlational) analysis was used to examine the relationship between symptom severity and brain perfusion, both between and within subjects. Results Global depression severity and an independent 'vital' depression factor were associated in subjec ts with increased perfusion in cingulate and other paralimbic areas. I n addition there was a probable association between an increase in an anxious-depression factor and reduced frontal neocortical perfusion. C onclusions Depressive symptom changes are associated with metabolic ch anges in the cingulate gyrus and associated paralimbic structures.