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Increased brain amyloid deposition in patients with a lifetime history of major depression: evidenced on 18F-florbetapir (AV-45/Amyvid) positron emission tomography

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Abstract

Purpose

The literature suggests that a history of depression is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of this study was to examine brain amyloid accumulation in patients with lifetime major depression using 18F-florbetapir (AV-45/Amyvid) PET imaging in comparison with that in nondepressed subjects.

Methods

The study groups comprised 25 depressed patients and 11 comparison subjects who did not meet the diagnostic criteria for AD or amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Vascular risk factors, homocysteine and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype were also examined. The standard uptake value ratio (SUVR) of each volume of interest was analysed using whole the cerebellum as the reference region.

Results

Patients with a lifetime history of major depression had higher 18F-florbetapir SUVRs in the precuneus (1.06 ± 0.08 vs. 1.00 ± 0.06, p = 0.045) and parietal region (1.05 ± 0.08 vs. 0.98 ± 0.07, p = 0.038) than the comparison subjects. Voxel-wise analysis revealed a significantly increased SUVR in depressed patients in the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital areas (p < 0.01). There were no significant associations between global 18F-florbetapir SUVRs and prior depression episodes, age at onset of depression, or time since onset of first depression.

Conclusion

Increased 18F-florbetapir binding values were found in patients with late-life major depression relative to comparison subjects in specific brain regions, despite no differences in age, sex, education, Mini Mental Status Examination score, vascular risk factor score, homocysteine and ApoE ε4 genotype between the two groups. A longitudinal follow-up study with a large sample size would be worthwhile.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc. (Philadelphia, PA) for providing the precursor for the preparation of 18F-florbetapir. This study was carried out with financial support from the National Science Council, Taiwan (NSC 95-2221-E-009-193-MY2, NSC 101-2314-B-182-061-MY2, NSC 100-2314-B-182A-091-MY3), and grants from the Research Fund of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPG371771, CMRPG290093, and CMRPD1C0381).

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital & Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Kuan-Yi Wu, Chia-Hsiang Chen & Chia-Yih Liu

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Ing-Tsung Hsiao, Chia-Ju Hsieh, Tzue-Chen Yen & Kun-Ju Lin

  3. Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences and Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Ing-Tsung Hsiao, Chia-Ju Hsieh, Tzue-Chen Yen & Kun-Ju Lin

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Cheng-Sheng Chen

  5. Department of Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Yau-Yau Wai

  6. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Chee-Jen Chang

  7. Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Chee-Jen Chang

  8. Biostatistical Center for Clinical Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Chee-Jen Chang & Hsiao-Jung Tseng

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  1. Kuan-Yi Wu
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  10. Chia-Yih Liu
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Correspondence to Chia-Yih Liu or Kun-Ju Lin.

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Kuan-Yi Wu and Ing-Tsung Hsiao contributed equally to this work.

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Wu, KY., Hsiao, IT., Chen, CS. et al. Increased brain amyloid deposition in patients with a lifetime history of major depression: evidenced on 18F-florbetapir (AV-45/Amyvid) positron emission tomography. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 41, 714–722 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2627-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2627-0

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