Cerebral glucose metabolism in retarded depression

The resting state cerebral metabolic rates for glucose of 10 severely depressed (subgroup; retarded) was compared to those of 16 control subjects of similar age by means of positron emission tomography and the fluorodeoxyglucose method. Significant left-right asymmetry was present in the prefrontal and temporal areas. Also, significant hypofrontality and whole-cortex hypometabolism were found.