Lefaucheur J P, Lucas B, Andraud F, Hogrel J Y, Bellivier F, Del Cul A, Rousseva A, Leboyer M, Paillère-Martinot M L
Service de Physiologie - Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 94010 Creteil, France.
J Psychiatr Res. 2008 Apr;42(5):389-98. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.03.001. Epub 2007 Apr 20.
Imaging and electroencephalographic studies have reported inter-hemispheric asymmetries in frontal cortical regions associated with depression. This study aimed at comparing motor corticospinal excitability assessed by methods of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) between the right and left hemispheres in patients with major depression and healthy controls.
Patients with major depression (n=35) and healthy controls (n=35) underwent a bilateral study of various motor corticospinal excitability parameters, including rest motor threshold (RMT), corticospinal silent period (CSP) duration and intra-cortical inhibition (ICI) and facilitation (ICF). Indexes of asymmetry were calculated, and the relationships between excitability parameters and clinical scores of depression were statistically analyzed.
Depressed patients showed a reduced excitability of both excitatory (RMT, ICF) and inhibitory (CSP, ICI) processes in the left hemisphere, compared to the right hemisphere and to healthy controls.
The present results confirmed the existence of inter-hemispheric asymmetries in frontal cortex activities of depressed patients in favor of a left-sided reduced excitability. This neurophysiological approach may help to guide repetitive TMS procedures in the treatment of depressive disorders.
影像学和脑电图研究报告称，额叶皮质区域存在与抑郁症相关的半球间不对称性。本研究旨在比较重度抑郁症患者与健康对照者左右半球经颅磁刺激（TMS）方法评估的运动皮质脊髓兴奋性。
重度抑郁症患者（n = 35）和健康对照者（n = 35）接受了双侧各种运动皮质脊髓兴奋性参数的研究，包括静息运动阈值（RMT）、皮质脊髓静息期（CSP）持续时间以及皮质内抑制（ICI）和易化（ICF）。计算不对称指数，并对兴奋性参数与抑郁症临床评分之间的关系进行统计学分析。
与右半球及健康对照者相比，抑郁症患者左半球的兴奋性（RMT、ICF）和抑制性（CSP、ICI）过程均降低。
目前的结果证实了抑郁症患者额叶皮质活动中存在半球间不对称性，有利于左侧兴奋性降低。这种神经生理学方法可能有助于指导重复经颅磁刺激治疗抑郁症。
