White matter disturbances in major depressive disorder: a coordinated analysis across 20 international cohorts in the ENIGMA MDD working group

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Laura S. van Velzen - , ORYGEN Youth Health, University of Melbourne, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC) (Joint first author)
  • Sinead Kelly - , Harvard University (Joint first author)
  • Dmitry Isaev - , University of Southern California (Author)
  • Andre Aleman - , University of Groningen (Author)
  • Lyubomir I. Aftanas - , RAS - State Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk State University (Author)
  • Jochen Bauer - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Bernhard T. Baune - , University of Münster, University of Melbourne (Author)
  • Ivan V. Brak - , RAS - State Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk State University (Author)
  • Angela Carballedo - , Trinity College Dublin, Mental Health Ireland (Author)
  • Colm G. Connolly - , University of California at San Francisco, Florida State University (Author)
  • Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne - , University of Queensland (Author)
  • Kathryn R. Cullen - , University of Minnesota System (Author)
  • Konstantin V. Danilenko - , RAS - State Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Siberian Branch (Author)
  • Udo Dannlowski - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Verena Enneking - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Elena Filimonova - , RAS - State Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Siberian Branch (Author)
  • Katharina Förster - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Thomas Frodl - , Trinity College Dublin, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (Author)
  • Ian H. Gotlib - , Stanford University (Author)
  • Nynke A. Groenewold - , University of Cape Town, University of Groningen (Author)
  • Dominik Grotegerd - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Mathew A. Harris - , University of Edinburgh (Author)
  • Sean N. Hatton - , University of Sydney (Author)
  • Emma L. Hawkins - , University of Edinburgh (Author)
  • Ian B. Hickie - , University of Sydney (Author)
  • Tiffany C. Ho - , University of California at San Francisco, Stanford University (Author)
  • Andreas Jansen - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Tilo Kircher - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Bonnie Klimes-Dougan - , University of Minnesota System (Author)
  • Peter Kochunov - , University of Maryland, Baltimore (Author)
  • Axel Krug - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Jim Lagopoulos - , University of the Sunshine Coast (Author)
  • Renick Lee - , Singapore Institute of Mental Health (Author)
  • Tristram A. Lett - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Meng Li - , Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Author)
  • Frank P. MacMaster - , University of Calgary , Strategic Clinical Network for Addictions and Mental Health (Author)
  • Nicholas G. Martin - , Queensland Institute of Medical Research (Author)
  • Andrew M. McIntosh - , University of Edinburgh (Author)
  • Quinn McLellan - , University of Calgary (Author)
  • Susanne Meinert - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Igor Nenadić - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Evgeny Osipov - , Novosibirsk State University (Author)
  • Brenda W.J.H. Penninx - , Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC) (Author)
  • Maria J. Portella - , Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), CIBER - Center for Biomedical Research Network, Autonomous University of Barcelona (Author)
  • Jonathan Repple - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Annerine Roos - , University of Stellenbosch (Author)
  • Matthew D. Sacchet - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Philipp G. Sämann - , Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (Author)
  • Knut Schnell - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Xueyi Shen - , University of Edinburgh (Author)
  • Kang Sim - , Singapore Institute of Mental Health, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University (Author)
  • Dan J. Stein - , University of Cape Town (Author)
  • Marie-Jose van Tol - , University of Groningen (Author)
  • Alexander S. Tomyshev - , Mental Health Research and Treatment Center (Author)
  • Leonardo Tozzi - , Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Stanford University (Author)
  • Ilya M. Veer - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Robert Vermeiren - , Leiden University (Author)
  • Yolanda Vives-Gilabert - , Polytechnic University of Valencia (Author)
  • Henrik Walter - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin (Author)
  • Martin Walter - , University of Tübingen (Author)
  • Nic J. A. van der Wee - , Leiden University (Author)
  • Steven J A van der Werff - , Leiden University (Author)
  • Melinda Westlund Schreiner - , University of Minnesota System (Author)
  • Heather C Whalley - , University of Edinburgh (Author)
  • Margaret J. Wright - , University of Queensland (Author)
  • Tony T. Yang - , University of California at San Francisco (Author)
  • Alyssa Zhu - , University of Southern California (Author)
  • Dick J. Veltman - , Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC) (Author)
  • Paul M Thompson - , University of Southern California (Author)
  • Neda Jahanshad - , University of Southern California (Author)
  • Lianne Schmaal - , ORYGEN Youth Health, University of Melbourne (Author)

Abstract

Alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure have been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, previous findings have been inconsistent, partially due to low statistical power and the heterogeneity of depression. In the largest multi-site study to date, we examined WM anisotropy and diffusivity in 1305 MDD patients and 1602 healthy controls (age range 12–88 years) from 20 samples worldwide, which included both adults and adolescents, within the MDD Working Group of the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium. Processing of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and statistical analyses were harmonized across sites and effects were meta-analyzed across studies. We observed subtle, but widespread, lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in adult MDD patients compared with controls in 16 out of 25 WM tracts of interest (Cohen’s d between 0.12 and 0.26). The largest differences were observed in the corpus callosum and corona radiata. Widespread higher radial diffusivity (RD) was also observed (all Cohen’s d between 0.12 and 0.18). Findings appeared to be driven by patients with recurrent MDD and an adult age of onset of depression. White matter microstructural differences in a smaller sample of adolescent MDD patients and controls did not survive correction for multiple testing. In this coordinated and harmonized multisite DTI study, we showed subtle, but widespread differences in WM microstructure in adult MDD, which may suggest structural disconnectivity in MDD.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1511-1525
Number of pages15
JournalMolecular psychiatry
Volume25
Issue number7
Publication statusPublished - 30 Aug 2019
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 31471575