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Effect of hippocampal and amygdala volumes on clinical outcomes in major depression: a 3-year prospective magnetic resonance imaging study
Frodl T, Jäger M, Smajstrlova I, Born C, Bottlender R, Palladino T, Reiser M, Möller HJ et al.. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN, 2008-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective According to the stress-toxicity hypothesis of depression, hippocampal volumes may diminish as the disease progresses. We sought to examine the changes in hippocampal and amygdala volumes at baseline and at 3 years after an acute depressive episode, and the impact of reduced hippocampal volumes on the outcome. Methods In a prospective, longitudinal study, we examined the hippocampus and amygdala of 30 inpatients with major depression from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and 30 healthy participants from the community (control group) using high-resolution magnetic resonance images at baseline and after 3 years. Psychopathology was assessed at baseline, weekly during the inpatient phase and then after 1, 2 and 3 years. Results During the 3-year follow-up period, neither hippocampal nor amygdala volumes changed significantly among patients or participants in the control group. However, in the subgroup of patients who took antidepressants over the full 3 years, the left hippocampal volumes increased significantly. Patients with small hippocampal volumes and previous depressive episodes had a worse clinical outcome compared with patients with large hippocampal volumes and previous depressive episodes. Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that a relatively small hippocampal volume may be a vulnerability factor for a bad treatment response in major depression. Subtle changes in hippocampal volumes may be detectable during continuous antidepressant therapy. Such changes may be the result of neuroplastic processes.
Key findings
- Results During the 3-year follow-up period, neither hippocampal nor amygdala volumes changed significantly among patients or participants in the control group.
- However, in the subgroup of patients who took antidepressants over the full 3 years, the left hippocampal volumes increased significantly.
- Patients with small hippocampal volumes and previous depressive episodes had a worse clinical outcome compared with patients with large hippocampal volumes and previous depressive episodes.
- Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that a relatively small hippocampal volume may be a vulnerability factor for a bad treatment response in major depression.
- Such changes may be the result of neuroplastic processes.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18787661) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 30 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Frodl, T., Jäger, M., Smajstrlova, I., Born, C., Bottlender, R., Palladino, T., et al. (2008). Effect of hippocampal and amygdala volumes on clinical outcomes in major depression: a 3-year prospective magnetic resonance imaging study. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN.
Vancouver
Frodl T, Jäger M, Smajstrlova I, Born C, Bottlender R, Palladino T, et al. Effect of hippocampal and amygdala volumes on clinical outcomes in major depression: a 3-year prospective magnetic resonance imaging study. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN. 2008. PMID: 18787661.
BibTeX
@article{frodl2008-18787661,
author = {Frodl, T. and Jäger, M. and Smajstrlova, I. and Born, C. and Bottlender, R. and Palladino, T. and Reiser, M. and Möller, H. J. and others},
title = {{Effect of hippocampal and amygdala volumes on clinical outcomes in major depression: a 3-year prospective magnetic resonance imaging study}},
journal = {Journal of psychiatry \& neuroscience : JPN},
year = {2008},
pmid = {18787661}
}
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