Why the study?
Does a verbal fluency task reveal bilaterally reduced frontal activation in depressed patients compared to healthy subjects as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy?
Does a verbal fluency task reveal bilaterally reduced frontal activation in depressed patients compared to healthy subjects as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy?
Near-infrared spectroscopy demonstrates a functional deficit in prefrontal cortex activation during cognitive tasks in depressed patients.
Supports NIRS detection of prefrontal deficits in depression; leaves open diagnostic utility pending prospective validation.
The present study investigated functional changes of brain oxygenation in prefrontal brain areas of nine depressed patients and nine age- and sex-matched healthy comparison subjects by using near-infrared spectroscopy. During a verbal fluency task, the healthy subjects exhibited the typical activation pattern, with a significant increase in oxyhemoglobin and a decrease in deoxyhemoglobin, as compared to a resting baseline condition. Patients had significantly lower activation bilaterally during the cognitive task, with no significant differences in behavioral performance. The results underscore the hypothesis of a functional deficit in prefrontal cortex in depression and confirm the feasibility of near-infrared spectroscopy in measuring functional brain activation.
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Herrmann et al. (2004) studied this question.
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