Single photon emission tomography with 99m Tc-HMPAO in Arab patients with depression

Background: This study investigates the rate of cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in Arab patients wth depression. Methods: Forty-four patients with DSM-III- R major depressive disorders were studied at rest using single photon emiss ion computerized tomography (SPECT) with 99m Tc-HMPAO in comparison with 20 normal controls. All patients were assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scal e for Depression (HRSD), Results: The depressed group showed greater rCBF i n left and right posterior frontal and parietal cortical regions than norma l controls. Within the depressed group, patients with the least severe illn ess (HRSD < 20) had significantly lower rCBF than normal controls, whilst t hose with moderately severe (HRSD 20-29) and severe (HRSD > 30) had signifi cantly greater rCBF in most cortical regions than normal controls. Symptom scores, derived from the HRSD were predicted by rCBF principally increased rCBF in the left frontal cortex. Conclusions: These results suggest a gener alized cerebral activation principally in the frontal cortex which is in co ntrast to the results of most previous studies but more in line with the re sults of studies of induced affect and some studies of depression subsyndro mes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.