Quantification of gray matter abnormalities in drug‑naïve major depressive disorders by synthetic MRI

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental illness. Herein, we explored the differences in the whole-brain T1 and T2 relaxation times between drug-naïve major depressive disorder patients and healthy controls by synthetic MRI (SyMRI). The results showed altered T1 and T2 values in specific regions of the gray matter in MDD patients, which may be associated with alterations in the brain gray matter microstructure, such as excessive iron deposition. Thus, these quantitative variables may be promising imaging markers for further exploring the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression.