Shen Wenbin, Wang Xiaoxiao, Li Qin, Ding Qingguo, Zhang Hongqiang, Qian Zheng, Sun Zhixin, Chen Xingyu, Zhang Jun, Zhao Mengqi, Huang Lina, Xing Wei
Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Nantong University, Changshu No.2 People's Hospital, Changshu, Jiangsu, China.
School of Foreign Studies, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
Front Neurosci. 2024 Mar 12;18:1231883. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1231883. eCollection 2024.
Subthreshold depression (StD)/subsyndromal depression refers to a threatening precursor to depression. Aerobic exercise is a promising self-supportive adjunctive intervention and an effective measure for StD. Our study utilizes regional homogeneity (ReHo) to investigate the impact of aerobic exercise on resting-state brain function.
A total of 78 subjects, aged between 18 and 48 years, (StD group, = 44; healthy control (HC) group, = 34) engaged in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 3-4 times per week for 8 weeks. Resting-state brain function and structural images were acquired before and after the exercise intervention. The ReHo method was employed to analyze abnormal changes in regional brain function, and a correlation analysis was performed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores.
The principal observation reveals synchronous abnormalities in the right anterior cingulate gyrus of the brain in StD subjects compared to HCs at baseline, with these differences dissipating after the implementation of aerobic exercise. After completing the aerobic exercise program, the StD group exhibited a difference in the right middle cingulate gyrus, while the left supplementary motor area (SMA) was altered in the HC group.
Disparities in neural synchronization are evident between HCs and StD subjects, and the implementation of aerobic exercise intervention can effectively mitigate these distinctions, leading to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms among StD subjects. The primary mechanism of StD symptoms may involve the inhibition of the anterior cingulate gyrus, while the effects of aerobic exercise may be related to the modulation of neural synchronization of emotional reflexes. The discovery of these fMRI evidence findings may offer novel strategies for early detection and intervention in cases of StD.
阈下抑郁（StD）/亚综合征抑郁是抑郁症的一种潜在前驱状态。有氧运动是一种有前景的自我支持辅助干预措施，也是治疗StD的有效方法。我们的研究利用局部一致性（ReHo）来探究有氧运动对静息态脑功能的影响。
共有78名年龄在18至48岁之间的受试者（StD组，n = 44；健康对照组（HC），n = 34），每周进行3 - 4次中等强度有氧运动，持续8周。在运动干预前后采集静息态脑功能和结构图像。采用ReHo方法分析脑区功能的异常变化，并使用患者健康问卷-9（PHQ-9）和自评焦虑量表（SAS）评分进行相关性分析。
主要观察结果显示，与基线时的健康对照组相比，StD受试者大脑右前扣带回存在同步异常，有氧运动实施后这些差异消失。完成有氧运动计划后，StD组在右中扣带回出现差异，而HC组左侧辅助运动区（SMA）发生改变。
健康对照组和StD受试者之间神经同步存在差异，有氧运动干预的实施可有效减轻这些差异，导致StD受试者的抑郁症状显著减轻。StD症状的主要机制可能涉及前扣带回的抑制，而有氧运动的效果可能与情绪反射的神经同步调节有关。这些功能磁共振成像证据的发现可能为StD的早期检测和干预提供新策略。
