Structural alterations as a predictor of depression – a 7-Tesla MRI-based multidimensional approach

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating condition that is associated with changes in the default-mode network (DMN). Commonly reported features include alterations in gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CoT), and gyrification. A comprehensive examination of these variables using ultra-high field strength MRI and machine learning methods may lead to novel insights into the pathophysiology of depression and help develop a more personalized therapy. Cerebral images were obtained from 41 patients with confirmed MDD and 41 healthy controls, matched for age and gender, using a 7-T-MRI. DMN parcellation followed the Schaefer 600 Atlas. Based on the results of a mixed-model repeated measures analysis, a support vector machine (SVM) calculation followed by leave-one-out cross-validation determined the predictive ability of structural features for the presence of MDD. A consecutive permutation procedure identified which areas contributed to the classification results. Correlating changes in those areas with BDI-II and AMDP scores added an explanatory aspect to this study. CoT did not delineate relevant changes in the mixed model and was excluded from further analysis. The SVM achieved a good prediction accuracy of 0.76 using gyrification data. GMV was not a viable predictor for disease presence, however, it correlated in the left parahippocampal gyrus with disease severity as measured by the BDI-II. Structural data of the DMN may therefore contain the necessary information to predict the presence of MDD. However, there may be inherent challenges with predicting disease course or treatment response due to high GMV variance and the static character of gyrification. Further improvements in data acquisition and analysis may help to overcome these difficulties.