A volumetric study of hippocampus and amygdala in depressed patients with subjective memory problems

MRI was used to measure amygdalar and hippocampal volumes in 14 nondemented depressed patients who persistently complained of "memory" difficulties an d in 14 central subjects. Mild neuropsychological impairment had been detec ted in 5 patients before the study but had later improved. The volume of th e left amygdala was smaller in depressed subjects, and there was a trend fo r smaller left hippocampus in the 5 patients who had exhibited mild cogniti ve impairment. The authors conclude that subjective memory complaints in de pressed patients do not translate into a clinical picture of dementia, but that abnormalities in the amygdala and hippocampus may be relevant in expla ining affective and cognitive symptoms.