Mapping region-specific cerebrovascular reactivity in patients with major depressive disorder

Motivation: Impaired global cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) has been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, regional CVR has not been evaluated in MDD patients due to experimental difficulties. Goal(s): The goal is to use a recently developed resting-state technique to map regional CVR in MDD patients. Approach: Resting-state images was filtered and relative CVR index was calculated by regressing the voxel-wise BOLD signal against the reference signal. Results: CVR was significantly reduced in occipital lobe in MDD. Temporal CVR was negatively correlated with illness duration, while psychomotor retardation was associated with elevated CVR in several emotion-related areas, including amygdala. Impact: Current study indicated a region-specific relationship between cerebrovascular dysfunction and depression.