Minjie Wu1,2, Carmen Andreescu1, Jennifer Figurski1, Costin Tanase3, Howard J. Aizenstein1,2
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; 2Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; 3Magnetic Resonance Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Analysis of default-mode network (DMN) in clinical conditions may enhance the understanding of mental illnesses. We analyzed the DMN functional connectivity pattern in two groups: late-life depression subjects with high comorbid anxiety (LLD-HA) and late-life depression subjects with low comorbid anxiety (LLD-LA). Our results show that LLD-HA subjects display a dissociative pattern of connectivity in the DMN when compared with LLD-LA subjects. LLD-HA subjects had increased connectivity in the posterior regions of the DMN (occipital and parietal associative areas) and decreased connectivity in the anterior regions of the DMN (rostral ACC, medial prefrontal and orbito-prefrontal cortex).
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