Title:A Pilot Study of Hippocampal Activity During a Verbal Memory Task in Depressed Young Adults
VOLUME: 8 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Elisea De Somma*, Natalia Jaworska, Allegra Courtright, Signe Bray, R. Marc Lebel, Frank P. MacMaster and Glenda M. MacQueen
Affiliation:Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Department of Psychiatry; Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Department of Psychiatry; Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Department of Psychiatry; Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Department of Psychiatry; Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
Keywords:Depression, fMRI, hippocampus, memory, youth, MDD.
Abstract:Background: Hippocampal volume is reduced in Major Depressive Disorder
(MDD), but the extent to which hippocampal function is altered in the context of MDD,
particularly in young adults, is not well established. The hippocampus is important in
recollection memory, a cognitive domain that is often impaired in depressed adults.
Objective: This pilot functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study aimed to assess
hippocampal activity during a verbal memory task in unmedicated young adults with MDD
(18-24 years of age) relative to healthy age-matched Controls.
Method: Brain activity was measured in hippocampal regions during verbal encoding and
retrieval, and compared between groups (N=11 in each group); exploratory whole-brain
assessments were also carried out.
Results: Greater right hippocampal activity during verbal memory encoding (vs. retrieval)
was apparent in Controls. Further, in the MDD group, left hippocampal activity during
encoding (vs. retrieval) was positively related to depression symptom severity and number of
previous depressive episodes.
Conclusion: This pilot study is a stepping stone in examining the effect of depression on
hippocampal function in young adults.
