# Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study on Older Patients with Cognitive Impairment and Depression

## TL;DR

This study uses MRI to identify brain regions linked to cognitive changes in older adults with depression, offering insights into diagnosis and treatment.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific brain regions associated with cognitive behavior in older patients with depression using MRI-based metrics.

## Key findings

- Decreased ReHo was observed in the left middle temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left precuneus in older patients with depression.
- Increased local ALFF was found in the right middle occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, and right precentral gyrus in these patients.
- Increased ALFF in the left postcentral and right precentral gyri was negatively correlated with cognitive scores.

## Abstract

Understanding brain changes in older patients with depression and their relationship with cognitive abilities may aid in the diagnosis of depression in this population. This study aimed to explore the association between brain lesions and cognitive performance in older patients with depression.

We utilized magnetic resonance imaging data from a previous study, which included older adults with and without depression. Smoothed Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) and local brain Amplitude of Low-frequency Fluctuation (ALFF) values were assessed to examine brain activity.

The analysis revealed decreased ReHo in the left middle temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left precuneus, as well as increased local ALFF in the right middle occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, and right precentral gyrus in older patients with depression. These alterations may contribute to behavioral and cognitive changes. However, no significant relationship was found between ReHo values and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. In contrast, increased local ALFF in the left postcentral gyrus and right precentral gyrus was negatively correlated with MoCA scores.

This study demonstrated a significant association between regional brain alterations in patients with depression and cognitive behavior. Thus, this work identified functional brain regions and cognitive performance in older adults with depression, highlighting specific brain regions that play a crucial role in cognitive abilities in this population.