Research On Abnormal Brain Function In Postpartum Depression Based On Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance

Objective In this study,we use resting-state functional MRI(R-f MRI)to investigate changes in spontaneous neural activity and their correlation with postpartum depression(PPD)severity.Methods A total of 15 individuals with PPD,who met the diagnostic criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition unipolar depression,24-item Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)scores greater than 20,Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS)score ? 12,and 16 postpartum healthy mothers(control group)matched with age and education were examined using R-f MRI.Two-sample t-test was used to compare the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(ALFF)and regional homogeneity(Re Ho)values between groups.Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the ALFF and Re Ho of the abnormal brain region and the HAMD and EPDS scores.Results Compared with the healthy controls(HCs),the right cerebellum anterior lobe(culmen)and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increased ALFF in PPD and decreased ALFF in the right parietal lobe.PPD had increased Re Ho values in the left superior frontal gyrus(SFG),orbital part,inferior frontal gyrus(IFG),orbital part,middle frontal gyrus,precuneus,inferior parietal lobule and SFG than HCs.Decreased Re Ho values in the right inferior occipital gyrus,IFG,frontal lobule,and the left cerebellum inferior semi-lunar lobule.This study found that the ALFF value of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was positively correlated with the HAMD score in PPD.Conclusion This R-f MRI study suggests that changes in the spontaneous neural activity of these regions are related to emotional responses.PPD with higher ALFF values in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex have severe depression.Objective This study used the degree centrality(DC)method to explore the potential abnormality of brain functional network of postpartum depression(PPD),and their correlation with PPD severity.Methods Twenty-six patients with PPD and twenty-six matched normal postpartum mothers were examined by R-f MRI.Two-sample t-test was used to compare the DC values between groups.The correlation between the specific network nodes and the depression factors of HAMD and EPDS scores was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.Results Relative to the healthy controls(HCs)group,the PPD group showed increased DC values in the right cerebellum posterior lobe,bilateral middle frontal gyrus(MFG),left precuneus,and left inferior frontal gyrus.Lower DC values in the left cerebellum posterior lobe declive,right inferior temporal gyrus,left cuneus,and bilateral precentral gyrus(Pre CG)were observed in the PPD group than in the HCs group.The left MFG was negatively correlated with anxiety/somatization and diurnal mood variation.The left precuneus and diurnal mood variation had a negative correlation.The left Pre CG have a positive relationship with anxiety/somatization.The right Pre CG was negatively correlated with sense of despair.Conclusions Our results suggest that patients with PPD have abnormal DC in the neural emotion regulation circuits and that some neural network nodes may be the symptomatic markers of PPD.