Journal of Nippon Medical School: Vol.70 No.4 page.321

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ArticleTitle Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Vascular Depression Assessed by ¹²³I-IMP SPECT

AuthorList Mahito Kimura¹, Kengo Shimoda¹, Sunao Mizumura², Amane Tateno¹, Tatsuma Fujito¹, Takao Mori¹ and Shunkichi Endo¹

Affiliation ¹Department of Neuropsychiatey, Nippon Medical School
²Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School

Language EN

Volume 70

Issue 4

Year 2003

Page 321-326

Received December 9, 2002

Accepted February 14, 2003

Keywords depression, cerebrovascular disease, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)

Abstract Objective: As the prevalence of white matter hyperintensities detected on T2 weighted MRI scans in patients with late-onset depression is higher than that in nondepressed patients, the concept of"vascular depression" (VDep) was introduced in 1997. However, the pathology of vascular depression has not been clarified. This study examined the differences in functional imaging between vascular and non-vascular depression (non-VDep). Methods: We utilized ¹²³I-IMP single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to compare regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) between 9 patients with VDep (Krishnan criteria) and 11 age- and sex-matched patients with non-VDep in both depressed and remitted states. Results: In both VDep and non-VDep patients, mean rCBF increased significantly as depression improved, partially aided by changes in left anterior temporal blood flow. In addition, compared to non-VDep patients, the left anterior frontal rCBF for VDep patients was significantly lower in both depressed and remitted states. Conclusions: Left anterior temporal rCBF therefore appears to represent a state marker that increases as symptoms associated with late-onset depression improve, regardless of vascular changes. Furthermore, in VDep patients, left anterior frontal rCBF was low in both states compared to non-VDep patients, and might not only represent a trait marker, but also correlated with the duration of disease and likelihood of recurrence and relapse.

Correspondence to Mahito Kimura, MD, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603 Japan
mkimura@med.email.ac.jp

ArticleTitle	Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Vascular Depression Assessed by ¹²³I-IMP SPECT
AuthorList	Mahito Kimura¹, Kengo Shimoda¹, Sunao Mizumura², Amane Tateno¹, Tatsuma Fujito¹, Takao Mori¹ and Shunkichi Endo¹
Affiliation	¹Department of Neuropsychiatey, Nippon Medical School ²Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School
Language	EN
Volume	70
Issue	4
Year	2003
Page	321-326
Received	December 9, 2002
Accepted	February 14, 2003
Keywords	depression, cerebrovascular disease, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)
Abstract	Objective: As the prevalence of white matter hyperintensities detected on T2 weighted MRI scans in patients with late-onset depression is higher than that in nondepressed patients, the concept of"vascular depression" (VDep) was introduced in 1997. However, the pathology of vascular depression has not been clarified. This study examined the differences in functional imaging between vascular and non-vascular depression (non-VDep). Methods: We utilized ¹²³I-IMP single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to compare regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) between 9 patients with VDep (Krishnan criteria) and 11 age- and sex-matched patients with non-VDep in both depressed and remitted states. Results: In both VDep and non-VDep patients, mean rCBF increased significantly as depression improved, partially aided by changes in left anterior temporal blood flow. In addition, compared to non-VDep patients, the left anterior frontal rCBF for VDep patients was significantly lower in both depressed and remitted states. Conclusions: Left anterior temporal rCBF therefore appears to represent a state marker that increases as symptoms associated with late-onset depression improve, regardless of vascular changes. Furthermore, in VDep patients, left anterior frontal rCBF was low in both states compared to non-VDep patients, and might not only represent a trait marker, but also correlated with the duration of disease and likelihood of recurrence and relapse.
Correspondence to	Mahito Kimura, MD, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603 Japan mkimura@med.email.ac.jp