Rosenbaum David, Hagen Katja, Deppermann Saskia, Kroczek Agnes M, Haeussinger Florian B, Heinzel Sebastian, Berg Daniela, Fallgatter Andreas J, Metzger Florian G, Ehlis Ann-Christine
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tuebingen, Germany.
Neurobiol Aging. 2016 Mar;39:57-68. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.11.022. Epub 2015 Dec 6.
There is a large body of evidence showing a substantial relationship between depression and deficits in cognitive functioning. Especially in late-life depression, cognitive impairments are associated with worse treatment progress and are considered a risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders. However, little is known about the differences in neural processing and coupling during rest and cognitive functions in patients with late-life depression compared to healthy elderly individuals. The study at hand aims to investigate the cognitive control network in late-life depression during a cognitive task and at rest by means of functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Hemodynamic responses were measured at rest and during the Trail Making Test using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in a matched sample of 49 depressed and 51 nondepressed elderly subjects (age range: 51-83 years; 64.1 ± 6.58 [mean ± standard deviation]). Functional connectivity (FC) and network metrics were derived from the data and analyzed with respect to differences between the subject groups. Depressed and nondepressed subjects showed significant differences in FC both at rest and during task performance. Depressed subjects showed reduced FC in a left frontopolar cortical network during task performance and increased FC in a left frontoparietal cortical network at rest. Depressed elderly subjects showed altered FC and network organization during different mental states. Higher FC at rest may be an indicator of self-referential processes such as rumination that may reduce FC during task performance due to an overtaxed executive control system.
大量证据表明抑郁症与认知功能缺陷之间存在实质性关联。尤其是在老年期抑郁症中，认知障碍与较差的治疗进展相关，并被认为是神经退行性疾病的一个风险因素。然而，与健康老年人相比，老年期抑郁症患者在静息状态和认知功能期间的神经处理和耦合差异却知之甚少。本研究旨在通过功能近红外光谱技术，调查老年期抑郁症患者在认知任务和静息状态下的认知控制网络。在49名抑郁和51名非抑郁老年受试者（年龄范围：51 - 83岁；平均±标准差为64.1±6.58）的匹配样本中，使用功能近红外光谱技术在静息状态和进行连线测验时测量血流动力学反应。从数据中得出功能连接性（FC）和网络指标，并针对两组受试者之间的差异进行分析。抑郁和非抑郁受试者在静息状态和任务执行期间的FC均存在显著差异。抑郁受试者在任务执行期间左侧额极皮质网络的FC降低，而在静息状态下左侧额顶叶皮质网络的FC增加。抑郁老年受试者在不同心理状态下表现出FC和网络组织的改变。静息状态下较高的FC可能是诸如反刍等自我参照过程的一个指标，由于执行控制系统负担过重，这可能会在任务执行期间降低FC。
