Reduced olfactory bulb volume in depression-A structural moderator analysis
Abstract
Removal of the olfactory bulb (OB) leads to depression like behavior in rodents. A link between depression and olfactory function is also established in humans. We hypothesized that the human OB volume relates to depressive state and tested whether such a potential coherence is moderated by structural alterations in other brain regions. Eighty-three participants (32 patients with major depression and 51 matched healthy controls) underwent structural MR scanning. Individual OB volumes were compared between patients and controls and the impact of depression and comorbidity was analyzed with multiple regression analysis. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry revealed structures co-varying with both depressive state and OB volume. The OB volume of patients was significantly reduced and this reduction averaged out at 17% compared to the controls. The OB volume was correlated to the volume of the insula, superior temporal cortex, and amygdala. The independent variables of depression (β = -.37), age (β = -.25), and gender (β = -.40) explained the individual OB volume variation (R2 = .37). The correlation between OB volume and depression was moderated by volumetric reductions in a cluster including the insula and superior temporal gyrus...Continue Reading
References
Gray matter reduction of the superior temporal gyrus in patients with established bipolar I disorder
Citations
The olfactory deficits of depressed patients are restored after remission with venlafaxine treatment
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