Evaluation of different multi-echo combinations on objective depression prognosis in an emotional face-matching task

Objective prognosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) based on functional MRI (fMRI) biomarkers remains problematic due an abundance of physiological and motion confounders. Multi-echo imaging enhances the BOLD sensitivity while reducing signal loss. Here, we evaluate the effect of different multi-echo combinations on MDD symptom improvement prediction in an emotional face-matching fMRI task. We demonstrate improved signal quality and activation contrast for multi-echo combinations in the amygdala and hippocampus and predict 3-months and 6-months MDD symptom improvement with 91% and 87% accuracy, respectively. These results highlight the benefits of novel multi-echo acquisitions for prognosis in psychiatric disorders.