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Medial temporal lobe volumes in late-life depression: effects of age and vascular risk factors

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Abstract

Substantial work associates late-life depression with hippocampal pathology. However, there is less information about differences in hippocampal subfields and other connected temporal lobe regions and how these regions may be influenced by vascular factors. Individuals aged 60 years or older with and without a DSM-IV diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder completed clinical assessments and 3 T cranial MRI using a protocol allowing for automated measurement of medial temporal lobe subfield volumes. A subset also completed pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling, allowing for the measurement of hippocampal cerebral blood flow. In 59 depressed and 21 never-depressed elders (mean age = 66.4 years, SD = 5.8y, range 60-86y), the depressed group did not exhibit statistically significant volumetric differences for the total hippocampus or hippocampal subfields but did exhibit significantly smaller volumes of the perirhinal cortex, specifically in the BA36 region. Additionally, age had a greater effect in the depressed group on volumes of the cornu ammonis, entorhinal cortex, and BA36 region. Finally, both clinical and radiological markers of vascular risk were associated with smaller BA36 volumes, while reduced hippocampal blood flow was associated with smaller hippocampal and cornu ammonis volumes. In conclusion, while we did not observe group differences in hippocampal regions, we observed group differences and an effect of vascular pathology on the BA36 region, part of the perirhinal cortex. This is a critical region exhibiting atrophy in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the observed greater effect of age in the depressed groups is concordant with past longitudinal studies reporting greater hippocampal atrophy in late-life depression.

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Funding

This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health grants R01 MH102246, R21 MH099218 and K24 MH110598 and CTSA award UL1 TR002243 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA

    Warren D. Taylor, Yi Deng, Brian D. Boyd, Kimberly Albert, Maureen McHugo & Bennett A. Landman

  2. Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA

    Warren D. Taylor

  3. The Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA

    Manus J. Donahue & Bennett A. Landman

  4. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA

    Jason A Gandelman

  5. The Department of Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA

    Bennett A. Landman

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  1. Warren D. Taylor
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  2. Yi Deng
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Correspondence to Warren D. Taylor.

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Taylor, W.D., Deng, Y., Boyd, B.D. et al. Medial temporal lobe volumes in late-life depression: effects of age and vascular risk factors. Brain Imaging and Behavior 14, 19–29 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-018-9969-y

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