Gender differences in brain region activation during verbal fluency task as detected by fNIRS in patients with depression

Abstract

Background

Gender plays a role in the mechanisms of depression, but fewer studies have focused on gender differences in the abnormal activation of brain regions when patients perform specific cognitive tasks.

Methods

A total of 110 major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and 106 healthy controls were recruited. The relative change in oxygen-haemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration during the verbal fluency task were measured by a 52-channel near-infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) system. Differences in brain region activation between patients and healthy controls and between genders of depression patients were compared.

Results

MDD patients demonstrated significantly decreased [oxy-Hb] changes in the right inferior frontal gyrus (p = 0.043) compared to healthy controls. A marked increase in leftward functional language lateralisation in the inferior frontal gyrus was observed in the MDD group in contrast to the HC group (p = 0.039). Furthermore, female patients in the MDD group exhibited significant reductions in [oxy-Hb] changes in the right frontal region (specifically, the superior and middle frontal gyrus; p = 0.037) compared with male patients.

Conclusions

Gender impacts depression-related brain activation during cognitive tasks, potentially influencing depression’s pathogenesis.

Keywords:

• Major depressive disorder
• fNIRS
• cognitive function
• gender differences
• brain lateralisation

Acknowledgements

None.

Statement of interest

All authors declare no potential competing interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [No.82271562], Zhejiang R & D research and development project [No. 2023C03077; No.2015C03040], and Zhejiang Province Natural Science Foundation [No. LQ20H090016].