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Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in geriatric depression and primary degenerative dementia
Pantel J, Schröder J, Essig M, Popp D, Dech H, Knopp MV, Schad LR, Eysenbach K et al.. Journal of affective disorders, 1997-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to investigate volumes of different brain structures in 19 patients with late-onset major depression (DSM-III-R), 27 patients with Alzheimer's disease (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria) and 13 age matched controls. 3-D MRI sequences were acquired using a Siemens 1.5 T scanner. Whole brain volume, CSF volume, volume of the frontal and temporal lobes and the volume of the amygdala-hippocampus complex were assessed using the software NMR Win. Compared to the controls, depressed patients showed a significantly lower whole brain volume and a significantly higher CSF volume, whereas volumes of the frontal and temporal lobes as well as the amygdala-hippocampus complex volumes were not significantly decreased. In addition, depressed patients exhibited a higher ventricle-brain ratio suggesting a higher degree of central atrophy compared to healthy individuals. In contrast, Alzheimer patients showed significantly lower volumes than depressed patients and controls with respect to all volumetric parameters. Although the findings indicate the presence of brain atrophy in patients with late-onset depression, the pattern of volumetric changes in these patients differs markedly from that observed in patients with primary degenerative dementia.
Key findings
- Compared to the controls, depressed patients showed a significantly lower whole brain volume and a significantly higher CSF volume, whereas volumes of the frontal and temporal lobes as well as the amygdala-hippocampus complex volumes were not significantly decreased.
- In addition, depressed patients exhibited a higher ventricle-brain ratio suggesting a higher degree of central atrophy compared to healthy individuals.
- In contrast, Alzheimer patients showed significantly lower volumes than depressed patients and controls with respect to all volumetric parameters.
Why it matters
This small MRI study found that patients with late-onset major depression had lower whole brain volume and higher cerebrospinal fluid volume than controls, but their frontal, temporal and amygdala-hippocampus volumes were not significantly reduced, unlike Alzheimer's disease patients whose volumes were lower on all measures. It is a comparison of brain structure in two conditions and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Participants19
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of affective disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Affective Disorders: journal h-index 306 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 19 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 124 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.0 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author M. Friedlinger: h-index 7 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Heidelberg University: institution h-index 1,344 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9089060) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. 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
Pantel, J., Schröder, J., Essig, M., Popp, D., Dech, H., Knopp, M. V., et al. (1997). Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in geriatric depression and primary degenerative dementia. Journal of affective disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0327(96)00105-x
Vancouver
Pantel J, Schröder J, Essig M, Popp D, Dech H, Knopp MV, et al. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in geriatric depression and primary degenerative dementia. Journal of affective disorders. 1997. doi:10.1016/s0165-0327(96)00105-x. PMID: 9089060.
BibTeX
@article{pantel1997-9089060,
author = {Pantel, J. and Schröder, J. and Essig, M. and Popp, D. and Dech, H. and Knopp, M. V. and Schad, L. R. and Eysenbach, K. and others},
title = {{Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in geriatric depression and primary degenerative dementia}},
journal = {Journal of affective disorders},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1016/s0165-0327(96)00105-x},
pmid = {9089060},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0327(96)00105-x}
}
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