Hippocampal Volume is Decreased in Healthy Subjects at Risk of Unipolar Depression

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 47; p. S49
• Main Authors: Baaré, W.F., Vinberg, M., Knudsen, G.M., Paulson, O.B, Langkilde, A.R., Jernigan, T.L., Kessing, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01-07-2009; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Males
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/S1053-8119(09)70100-4

Methods 59 high-risk subjects (18 MZ and 41 DZ healthy twins with a co-twin diagnosed with unipolar depression; 27 males; mean age = 45, sd = 13.5) and 53 low-risk subjects (22 MZ and 31 DZ healthy twins with a co-twin never diagnosed with an affective disorder; 21 males; mean age = 38.8; sd = 12.1) participated in the study. Conclusions Our findings suggest that hippocampal volume reductions may be a trait marker of risk for depression, and are not likely to be specifically related to the presence of the disorder per se, since our high-risk subjects did not suffer from depression.