Depicting Coupling Between Cortical Morphology and Functional Networks in Major Depressive Disorder

TL;DR

This study explores how brain structure and function are linked in major depressive disorder, revealing altered patterns that correlate with symptom severity.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel approach to quantify cortical morphology–function coupling in MDD using high-resolution MRI data from a large cohort.

Findings

MDD patients showed lower coupling in the visual and sensorimotor networks compared to healthy controls.

Higher coupling was observed in the default mode and frontoparietal networks in MDD patients.

Altered coupling in the visual network correlated with increased depressive symptom severity.

Abstract

An enduring mystery in neuroscience is the intricate interplay between brain anatomical structure and functional dynamics, particularly in the context of mental disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD). A pivotal scientific question arises: How does the cortical morphology–function coupling (MFC) manifest in MDD, and what insights can this coupling provide into the clinical manifestations of the disorder? To tackle this question, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using high-resolution T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data from a cohort of 830 MDD patients and 853 healthy control (HC). By constructing morphological and functional networks based on cortical gray matter (GM) morphology and regional rs-fMRI time series correlations, respectively, we aimed to quantify MFC by assessing the spatial correspondence between these networks. Results revealed that MDD patients exhibited a spatial hierarchical pattern of MFC similar to HC, with variations in specific networks. Specifically, lower coupling was observed in the visual network (VIS) and sensorimotor network (SMN), while higher coupling was noted in the default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN). Notably, MDD patients demonstrated significantly increased MFC within the VIS, SMN, and dorsal attention network (DAN) compared to HC. Furthermore, altered MFC in the VIS correlated positively with depressive symptom severity. These findings contribute to our understanding of the potential clinical significance of MFC alterations in MDD.

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