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Functional Abnormality of the Reward System in Depressed Adolescents and Young Adults with and without Suicidal Behavior

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Abstract

Objective: To identify local and functional connectivity abnormalities in the brain’s reward network in depressed adolescents and young adults with and without suicidal behavior. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 41 major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with suicidal behavior (sMDD, males/females: 12/29), 44 MDD patients without suicidal behavior (nMDD, males/females: 13/32), and 52 healthy controls (HCs, males/females: 17/35). The Young Mania Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Columbia Suicide Scale, and Scale for Suicide Ideation were used to evaluate emotional state and suicidal ideation and behaviors. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity of 11 regions of interest (ROIs) in the reward network were determined. RESULTS: ALFF values in the vmPFC of the nMDD group were significantly lower than those in the HC group (p = 0.031). The ReHo values of the nMDD group were lower in the lVS but higher in the vmPFC than those of the HC group (P = 0.018 and 0.025, respectively). Functional connectivity of the AC with the vmPFC, lVS, rVS, and vmPFC was increased in the sMDD group compared with that in the nMDD group (P = 0.038, 0.034, 0.006, respectively). Conclusion: Local and functional connectivity abnormalities in the reward network were found in the MDD groups. However, increased functional connectivity was found in only the sMDD group.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [Ouyang Zhubin], upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 81901373 to Qiu HT). We would like to thank Alicia Leonard (University at Buffalo) for her translation assistance with the manuscript.

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  1. Qiu Haitang and Cao Jun contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mental Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China

    Haitang Qiu, Jun Cao, Li Kuang & Zhubin Ouyang

  2. Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

    Rui Wang & Zhubin Ouyang

  3. College of Medical Informatics, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

    Xinke Li

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  1. Haitang Qiu
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Contributions

Kuang Li, Ouyang Zhubin conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination; Qiu Haitang, Cao Jun participated in the design and interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript; Wang Rui participated in the design and coordination of the study and performed the measurement; Li Xinke participated in the design of the study and performed the statistical analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Li Kuang or Zhubin Ouyang.

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This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 81,901,373 to Qiu HT). The authors declare that the publication of this paper has no clonfilicts of interest.

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Communicated by Armida Mucci.

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Qiu, H., Cao, J., Wang, R. et al. Functional Abnormality of the Reward System in Depressed Adolescents and Young Adults with and without Suicidal Behavior. Brain Topogr (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-024-01036-4

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