Amygdala Atrophy and Its Functional Disconnection with the Cortico-Striatal-Pallidal-Thalamic Circuit in Major Depressive Disorder in Females

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is approximately twice as common in females than males. Furthermore, female patients with MDD tend to manifest comorbid anxiety. Few studies have explored the potential anatomical and functional brain changes associated with MDD in females. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the anatomical and functional changes underlying MDD in females, especially within the context of comorbid anxiety. Methods In this study, we recruited antidepressant-free females with MDD (N = 35) and healthy female controls (HC; N = 23). The severity of depression and anxiety were evaluated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), respectively. Structural and resting-state functional images were acquired on a Siemens 3.0 Tesla scanner. We compared the structural volumetric differences between patients and HC with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses. Seed-based voxel-wise correlative analyses were used to identify abnormal functional connectivity. Regions with structural deficits showed a significant correlation between gray matter (GM) volume and clinical variables that were selected as seeds. Furthermore, voxel-wise functional connectivity analyses were applied to identify the abnormal connectivity relevant to seed in the MDD group. Results Decreased GM volume in patients was observed in the insula, putamen, amygdala, lingual gyrus, and cerebellum. The right amygdala was selected as a seed to perform connectivity analyses, since its GM volume exhibited a significant correlation with the clinical anxiety scores. We detected regions with disrupted connectivity relevant to seed primarily within the cortico-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuit. Conclusions Amygdaloid atrophy, as well as decreased functional connectivity between the amygdala and the cortico-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuit, appears to play a role in female MDD, especially in relation to comorbid anxiety

On the Specification of Part-Whole Relations in Conceptual Modeling: An Empirical Study

Part-whole relation (PWR), as a fundamental element to model the real world, has long been concerned by researchers andpractitioners. Theoretical work has been undertaken to develop the classifications of distinct types of part-whole relations(PWRs) and their properties in an attempt to clarify their semantics. There is no empirical evaluation, however, that supportswhether it is necessary to specify distinct types of PWRs and their properties in conceptual modeling. In this light, this studyfirst designs a specific representation of PWRs through a systematic review of the literature, and then by employing thetheory of ontological clarity and the theory of cognitive fit, empirically compares its performance with that of conventionalrepresentation of PWRs. The findings are expected to enrich the growing body of knowledge that supports the usefulness ofontological and cognitive theories, and provide empirical evidence regarding how to model the PWRs for practitioners