Deterioration or Improvement of Depression in Women Is Associated with Site and Size of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions (P6.174)

OBJECTIVE: To assess correlations between MS-associated cerebral and spinal cord lesion-load and -location, and clinical parameters of depression. BACKGROUND: Depression is frequent in women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Associations between location and volume of MS-related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes and depression are undetermined. DESIGN/METHODS: In 50 women with MS (37.0±9.9 years), we assessed scores of the 20-item Beck Depression Inventory-V (BDI-V) (Schmitt M. & Maes J. Diagnostica. 2000;46:38-46) and physical disability using Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). We determined cerebral and spinal MS-lesion-load and -location in T2-weighed 1.5T MRIs. We performed Spearman Rank correlations of BDI-V scores with patient age, disease duration, EDSS, and MS-lesion-load in frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, opercular, cingulate, thalamic, midbrain, cerebellar, pontine, medulla oblongata, and spinal cord areas (significance: p<0.05). RESULTS: BDI-V scores did not correlate with patient age, disease duration and EDSS scores (Spearman rank analysis; p>0.05). BDI-V scores correlated indirectly with MS-lesion volume in right temporal middle/inferior/fusiform gyral area (Spearman Rho, -0.32; p=0.032), BDI-V scores correlated directly with MS-lesion-load in right opercular region (Spearman Rho, 0.29; p=0.043) and total area of enhancing MS-lesions in the supratentorial brain (Spearman Rho, 0.31; p=0.029). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that alterations in emotional processing among women with MS evolve independently of patient age, physical disability, and disease duration. Reduced depression scores in women with right temporal lobe lesions suggest that the right temporal lobe contributes to disinhibiting depressive mood changes. The increasing BDI-V scores with lesions in the right operculum and cumulative active supratentorial MS-lesion-load suggest that these areas contribute to inhibiting depressive mood changes. Study Supported by: The study was supported by Bayer Vital GmbH, Germany. Disclosure: Dr. Winder has nothing to disclose. Dr. Engelhorn has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wagner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Crodel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Deutsch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Koehn has nothing to disclose. Dr. Linker has received personal compensation for activities with Bayer Pharmaceutical Corp., Biogen Idec, Novartis, Merck Serono, Teva Neuroscience as a speaker, with Biogen Idec, Novartis, and Merck Serono as a board member. Dr. Linker has received research support from Bayer Pharmaceutical Corp., Biogen Idec, Novartis, Merck Serono, and Teva Neuroscience. Dr. Lee has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Novartis. and Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. as a speaker. Dr. Hilz has received personal compensation for activities with Genzyme Corp., Pfizer Inc., and the International Brain Research Foundation, Inc. Dr. Hilz has received research support from the Rolf and Hubertine Schiffbauer Foundation, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp., and Novartis.