Insula and Amygdala Resting-State Functional Connectivity Differentiate Bipolar From Unipolar Depression

Authors

E Ambrosi
D B Arciniegas
A Madan
K N Curtis
M A Patriquin
R E Jorge
G Spalletta
J C Fowler
B C Frueh
R Salas

Language

English

Publication Date

7-1-2017

Journal

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

DOI

10.1111/acps.12724

PMID

28369737

PMCID

PMC5464981

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

7-1-2018

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Abstract

Objective: Distinguishing depressive episodes due to bipolar disorder (BD) or major depressive disorder (MDD) solely on clinical grounds is challenging. We aimed at comparing resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of regions subserving emotional regulation in similarly depressed BD and MDD.

Method: We enrolled 76 in-patients (BD, n = 36; MDD, n = 40) and 40 healthy controls (HC). A seed-based approach was used to identify regions showing different rsFC with the insula and the amygdala. Insular and amygdalar parcellations were then performed along with diagnostic accuracy of the main findings.

Results: Lower rsFC between the left insula and the left mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and between bilateral insula and right frontopolar prefrontal cortex (FPPFC) was observed in BD compared to MDD and HC. These results were driven by the dorsal anterior and posterior insula (PI). Lower rsFC between the right amygdala and the left anterior hippocampus was observed in MDD compared to BD and HC. These results were driven by the centromedial and laterobasal amygdala. Left PI/right FPPC rsFC showed 78% accuracy differentiating BD and MDD.

Conclusion: rsFC of amygdala and insula distinguished between depressed BD and MDD. The observed differences suggest the possibility of differential pathophysiological mechanisms of emotional dysfunction in bipolar and unipolar depression.

Keywords

Adult, Amygdala, Bipolar Disorder, Cerebral Cortex, Connectome, Depressive Disorder, Major, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Young Adult, bipolar disorder, major depression, depression, functional magnetic resonance imaging

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Ambrosi, E; Arciniegas, D B; Madan, A; et al., "Insula and Amygdala Resting-State Functional Connectivity Differentiate Bipolar From Unipolar Depression" (2017). Staff and Researcher Publications. 77.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/clinic_pub/77