MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING SIGNAL HYPOINTENSITY AND IRON CONTENT OF PUTAMEN NUCLEI IN ELDERLY DEPRESSED-PATIENTS

We previously introduced a semiquantitative scale for assessment of ir on content of putamen nuclei as determined by magnetic resonance imagi ng (MRI) - the Signal Hypointensity in the Putamen (SHIP) scale. Such hypointensity may be related to putamen nuclei iron content, although this suggestion remains controversial, especially in the elderly. In t he present study, we apply the SHIP scale to a sample of 68 elderly de pressed patients (diagnosed with DSM-IV major depression using the Dia gnostic Interview Schedule and clinical interview) and a group of 28 a ge-matched non-depressed control subjects. MRI scans were conducted on a single 1.5-T General Electric Signa system with axial acquisitions obtained parallel to the canthomeatal line. Technical parameters were as follows: (1) repetition time (TR) = 500 ms and echo time (TE) = 15 ms for T1-weighted images; (2) TR = 2500 ms and TE = 30 ms for proton- density-weighted images; and (3) TR = 2500 ms and TE = 80 ms for T2-we ighted images. Among depressed patients, older age of depression onset and greater severity of depression were associated with increased put amen nuclei iron deposition. When depressed patients were compared wit h control subjects, the patient group demonstrated greater putamen nuc lei iron, but the finding was significant only for the left hemisphere . Our findings support previous neuroimaging studies linking both chan ges in the basal ganglia and greater left-sided brain pathology to lat e-life depression. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights r eserved.