Characterizing white matter connectivity in major depressive disorder: Automated fiber quantification and maximum density paths

Diffusion-weighted imaging allows for in vivo assessment of white matter structure, which can be used to assess aberrations associated with disease. Several new methods permit the automated assessment of important white matter characteristics. In the current study we used Automated Fiber Quantification (AFQ) to assess differences between depressed and nondepressed individuals in 18 major white matter tracts. We then used the Maximum Density Path (MDP) method to further characterize group differences identified with AFQ. The results of the AFQ analyses indicated that fractional anisotropy (FA; an index of white matter integrity) along bilateral corticospinal tracts (CST) was higher in depressed than in nondepressed individuals. MDP analyses revealed that white matter anomalies were restricted to four subregions that included the corona radiata and the internal and external capsules. These results provide further evidence that MDD is associated with abnormalities in cortical-to-subcortical connectivity.