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Table 3 Summary of diffusion tensor imaging studies included in our meta-analysis conducted in patients with major depressive disorder using corrected whole-brain voxel-based analysisa

From: Meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies shows altered fractional anisotropy occurring in distinct brain areas in association with depression

Study

Method

Participants

Results

Comments

Kieseppä et al. [18]

Voxel-based analysis

1.5 Tesla

12 non-colinear directions

16 middle-aged MDD patients and 20 controls

Reduced FA in the left sagittal stratum, cingulate cortex and posterior corpus callosum

Reduced FA in left SLF (temporoparietal) and in the right cingulum in patients with MDD

Zhu et al. [58]

TBSS

1.5 Tesla

13 non-colinear directions

25 young first-episode MDD patients and 25 matched controls

Reduced FA in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule, right parahippocampal gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex

FA values in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule and right cingulum (hippocampus) and left cingulum (dorsal part) were negatively correlated with symptom severity

Abe et al. [59]

Voxel-based analysis

1.5 Tesla

6 non-colinear directions

21 young MDD patients and 42 controls

No significant difference between groups for FA and WM volume

Negative correlation between FA and total days depressed in both the right anterior cingulate and the left frontal WM

Blood et al. [24]

Voxel-based analysis

3.0 Tesla

6 non-colinear directions

22 MDD patients and 22 controls

Increased FA in the right ventral tegmental area and reduced FA in DLPFC WM in MDD subjects

Increased FA in right corticospinal tract, decreased FA in left corticospinal tract, right inferior FOF (frontal lobe), bilateral DLPFC, left SLF (temporal)

Wu et al. [25]

Voxel-based analysis

3.0 Tesla

13 non-colinear directions

23 single-episode, medication-naive MDD subjects and 21 controls

FA reduction in right SLF, right middle frontal and left

parietal WM with MDD

Reduced FA in left SLF (parietal lobe) and right frontal WM with MDD

Jia et al. [26]

Voxel-based analysis

3.0 Tesla

15 non-colinear directions

52 MDD patients, 16 with and 36 without a history of suicide attempts, and 52 matched controls

Reduced FA in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule in suicide attempters relative to both nonattempters and controls

Reduced FA in bilateral SLF (parietal lobe) and cerebellum

Korgaonkar et al. [60]

Voxel-based analysis

3.0 Tesla

42 different diffusion orientations

29 MDD subjects and 39 controls

7.8% reduction in FA in the limbic system, DLPFC, thalamic projection fibres, and corpus callosum

Limbic-DLPFC-thalamic axis Dysfunction may be involved in MDD

  1. aMDD, major depressive disorder; FA, fractional anisotropy; SLF, superior longitudinal fasciculus; TBSS, tract-based spatial statistics; FOF, fronto-occipital fasciculus; DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; WM, white matter.