TY - JOUR
T1 - Reduced frontal perfusion in depressed postmenopausal women
T2 - A SPECT study with WCST
AU - Yao, Wei Jen
AU - Pan, Hsien An
AU - Yang, Yen Kuang
AU - Chou, Yuan Hwa
AU - Wang, Shan Tair
AU - Yu, Chin Yin
AU - Lin, Hong Dun
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by grant NSC 90-2314-B-006-098 from the National Science Council, Taiwan.
PY - 2008/1/20
Y1 - 2008/1/20
N2 - Objectives: To investigate frontal cerebral blood flow (CBF) in depressed postmenopausal women and its relation to cognitive function and the severity of depressive symptoms. Methods: Regional CBF of 20 unmedicated depressed postmenopausal women was measured using Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT, both at rest and during frontal activation using the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST). Frontal CBF was semi-quantified by comparing the radioactivity in the prefrontal region to the cerebellum (F/C ratio). We measured the severity of the symptoms of depression using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and cognitive function using the mini-mental status examination (MMSE). Results: At rest, there was no difference in frontal CBF between patients with moderate or severe (HADS ≥ 11) and patients with mild depressive symptoms (HADS < 11). During the WCST, however, the HADS ≥ 11 group did not score as well as the HADS < 11 group (P = 0.03). The changes in F/C ratios were inversely correlated with HADS scores (r = -0.43, P = 0.05) and positively correlated with MMSE scores (r = 0.58, P = 0.004). After adjusting for age, F/C ratios were significantly correlated with MMSE (P = 0.002), but not with HADS scores. Conclusions: Frontal CBF did not increase in postmenopausal women with moderate/severe symptoms of depression during the WCST activation task, and reduced frontal CBF was related to the impairment of cognitive function. The combination of the functional activation test and SPECT imaging powerfully revealed this functional disease, which remains undetectable using more common baseline measurements.
AB - Objectives: To investigate frontal cerebral blood flow (CBF) in depressed postmenopausal women and its relation to cognitive function and the severity of depressive symptoms. Methods: Regional CBF of 20 unmedicated depressed postmenopausal women was measured using Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT, both at rest and during frontal activation using the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST). Frontal CBF was semi-quantified by comparing the radioactivity in the prefrontal region to the cerebellum (F/C ratio). We measured the severity of the symptoms of depression using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and cognitive function using the mini-mental status examination (MMSE). Results: At rest, there was no difference in frontal CBF between patients with moderate or severe (HADS ≥ 11) and patients with mild depressive symptoms (HADS < 11). During the WCST, however, the HADS ≥ 11 group did not score as well as the HADS < 11 group (P = 0.03). The changes in F/C ratios were inversely correlated with HADS scores (r = -0.43, P = 0.05) and positively correlated with MMSE scores (r = 0.58, P = 0.004). After adjusting for age, F/C ratios were significantly correlated with MMSE (P = 0.002), but not with HADS scores. Conclusions: Frontal CBF did not increase in postmenopausal women with moderate/severe symptoms of depression during the WCST activation task, and reduced frontal CBF was related to the impairment of cognitive function. The combination of the functional activation test and SPECT imaging powerfully revealed this functional disease, which remains undetectable using more common baseline measurements.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.maturitas.2007.09.014
DO - 10.1016/j.maturitas.2007.09.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 18006256
AN - SCOPUS:38749112518
SN - 0378-5122
VL - 59
SP - 83
EP - 90
JO - Maturitas
JF - Maturitas
IS - 1
ER -