Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies
| Study | Study design | Study groups | Sample size (F/M) | Age (years) (mean± SD) |
MRI/DTI/fMRI | Measure of depression | Medication | Matched for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amiri et al., 2021 | Case-control |
TRD HC |
21/10 18/11 |
35.7±9.1 31.7±6.1 |
fMRI | HAMD-17 | NR | - |
| Ancelin et al., 2019 | Case-control |
Lifetime MDD No lifetime MDD |
320/290 (total) | 70.7 (median) | MRI |
DSM-IV MINI |
Antidepressants | - |
| Briceño et al., 2015 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
27/26 31/26 |
46.1 (mean) 44.1 (mean) |
fMRI |
DSM-IV HDRS |
NR | Age, sex |
| Carceller-Sindreu et al., 2015 | Case-control |
First-episode MDD Remitted-recurrent MDD Chronic MDD HC |
14/7 18/2 16/4 24/10 |
44.4±6.7 47.1±8.2 48.6±8.0 47.9±8.1 |
MRI |
DSM-IV-TR HDRS |
Psychotropic medication | Age, gender distribution, educational level |
| Chuang et al., 2017 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
82/24 24/10 |
15.72±1.10 (F) 15.25±1.52 (M) 15.89±1.42 (F) 15.26+1.22 (M) |
fMRI | DSM-IV | Antidepressants | Age, sex, handedness |
| Cyprien et al., 2014 | Cohort |
LLD Non-LLD |
75/45 137/210 |
70.8±4.0 71.1±4.0 |
MRI |
MINI CES-D Antidepressant intake |
Antidepressants, Antihypertensives | - |
| De Almeida et al., 2011 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
12/7 12/7 |
30.3±7 31.8±6.8 |
fMRI | HDRS | Antidepressant, mood stabilizer, antipsychotic, and anxiolytics | Age, sex |
| Dong et al., 2022 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
76/48 137/106 |
25.68±7.90 (F) 24.75±5.16 (M) 21.33±4.28 (F) 20.54±2.13 (M) |
fMRI |
DSM-IV-TR HAMD-17 |
No | Sex |
| Furtado et al., 2008 | Case-control |
TRD HC |
23/22 17/13 |
37.53±11.3 36.6±11.09 |
MRI |
DSM-IV MINI HDRS |
Antidepressants (TCA, NaSSA, NRI, RIMA, SNRI) | Age, sex |
| Geng et al., 2019 | Case-control |
SD NSD HC |
15/13 16/14 13/17 |
37.21±7.16 34.10±9.91 35.83±8.15 |
fMRI |
DSM-IV MINI HAMD-17 |
Antidepressants (SSRI, SNRI, NaSSA, Benzodiazepines) | Age, education, gender |
| Hastings et al., 2004 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
10/8 10/8 |
38.9±11.4 34.8±13.6 |
MRI |
DSM-III-R SCID-P SCID-NP |
No | Sex |
| Ho et al., 2021 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
34/14 19/16 |
16.32±1.19 15.75±1.22 |
DTI |
DSM-IV K-SADS-PL RADS-2 |
Psychotropic medication | - |
| Jenkins et al., 2018 | Case-control |
rMDD HC |
32/16 25/15 |
21.72±1.28 (F) 20.69±1.62 (M) 21.00±1.63 (F) 20.67±1.76 (M) |
fMRI | DSM-IV-TR | No | Sex |
| Kliamovich et al., 2021 | Cohort |
MDD HC |
39/24 184/215 |
14.88±1.44 14.87±1.78 |
DTI |
DSM-IV SSAGA |
No | - |
| Kong et al., 2013 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
16/13 17/16 |
28.88±9.71 (F) 31.23±8.39 (M) 28.00±9.09 (F) 31.81±7.05 (M) |
MRI |
DSM-IV HAMD |
No | Age, education |
| Kronmuller et al., 2009 | Case-control |
FEMD RMD HC |
13/13 20/11 19/11 |
41.46±16.64 (F) 38.08±11.88 (M) 45.85±11.78 (F) 48.27±8.73 (M) 42.68±13.98 (F) 42.00±11.28 (M) |
MRI |
DSM-IV SCID HDRS |
Antidepressants (TCA, SSRI, Other new antidepressants) | - |
| Lavretsky et al., 1998 | Case-control |
EOD LOD |
21/12 27/36 |
57.0±5.9 63.9±8.0 |
MRI |
DSM-III-R HAM-D |
No | - |
| Lewine et al., 1995 | Case-control |
Schizophrenia Schizoaffective Major depression Bipolar HC |
26/82 13/7 20/7 15/5 91/59 |
33.9±7.3 (F) 32.4±8.1 (M) 39.6±10.1 (F) 39.4±9.0 (M) 41.4±10.4 (F) 39.3±11.9 (M) 39.7±6.9 (F) 32.6±6.3 (M) 35.2±9.9 (F) 31.5±8.2 (M) |
MRI | DSM-III-R | NR | - |
| Lyon et al., 2019 | Cohort |
MDD HC |
115/106 34/33 |
33.6±11.7 30.3±12.8 |
DTI |
DSM-IV HAMD |
Escitalopram, sertraline, or venlafaxine-extended release | Sex, education |
| MacMaster et al., 2006 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
20/15 20/15 |
14.72±2.16 (F) 13.82±2.81 (M) 14.72±2.33 (F) 14.19±2.83 (M) |
MRI |
DSM-IV CDRS-R |
No | Age, sex |
| Mei et al., 2022 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
36/25 36/25 |
36.1±10.7 (F) 36.4±12.8 (M) 36.6±11.8 (F) 34.9±11.9 (M) |
fMRI |
DSM-IV HAMD |
No | Age, sex, education |
| Nielsen et al., 2020 | Cohort |
MDD High-risk Low-risk |
30/22 (total) |
17.34±0.98 (total) |
MRI | CDI | NR | - |
| Piani et al., 2021 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
7/5 5/7 |
66.5±9.1 68.7±12.3 |
MRI fMRI |
DSM-V HDRS DASS-21 |
Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, mood stabilizer, antipsychotics, and NSAIDs | Age |
| Ritter et al., 2021 | Case-control |
Current MDD Past MDD Healthy |
20/12 41/9 128/71 |
24.9±6.23 (F) 27.8±3.93 (M) 23.9±4.34 (F) 23.4±2.88 (M) 24.9±4.48 (F) 24.8±1.53 (M) |
MRI (PWI) |
DSM-IV SCID-IV HAM-D MADRS BDI |
No | - |
| Soriano-Mas et al., 2011 | Cohort |
MDD HC |
41/29 23/17 |
61.56±9.68 59.23±7.09 |
MRI |
DSM-IV HAM-D |
Imipramine SSRI Venlafaxine Clomipramine Other antidepressants |
- |
| Talishinsky et al., 2022 | Cohort |
TRD HC |
223/148 103/79 |
41.9±11.4 35.1±13.0 |
fMRI |
DSM-V HDRS |
Antidepressants, Psychotropic medication | - |
| Ugwu et al., 2015 | Case-control |
MDD with CA MDD without CA HC with CA HC without CA |
11/13 17/5 9/8 18/11 |
40±9.1 41±11.2 36±13.5 36±12.0 |
DTI |
DSM-IV-TR HDRS BDI-II MADRS |
Antidepressants | Age, gender |
| Yang et al., 2017 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
53/29 53/29 |
30.21±10.79 (F) 27.48±7.55 (M) 29.06±9.10 (F) 26.38±6.91 (M) |
MRI |
DSM-IV-TR HAMD |
No | Age, education, intelligence quotient |
| Yao et al., 2014 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
13/14 15/15 |
35.3±7.3 (F) 31.1±9.6 (M) 31.3±7.8 (F) 30.9±6.6 (M) |
fMRI |
DSM-IV-TR HDRS |
NR | Age, education |
| Young et al., 2017 | Case-control |
MDD HC |
20/20 20/20 |
35.5±8.13 (F) 36.1±10.2 (M) (HC NR) |
fMRI |
SCID HDRS |
No | Age, sex |
Abbreviations: MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging, DTI: Diffusion tensor imaging, fMRI: Functional magnetic resonance imaging, DSM (-TR): Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (-Text revision), HAMD or HDRS: Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, MINI: Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, CES-D: Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, SCID: Structured Clinical Interview DSM-III-R, K-SADS-PL: Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - Present and Lifetime, RADS: Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, SSAGA: Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism, CDRS-R: Childhood Depression Rating Scale-Revised, CDI: Children's Depression Inventory, DASS-21: Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales-21, NSAID: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, MADRS: Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, BDI: Beck’s Depression Inventory, MDD: Major depressive disorder, rMDD: Remitted major depressive disorder, TRD: Treatment-resistant depression, LLD: Late-life depression, SD: Somatic depression, NSD: Non-somatic depression, FEMD: First episode major depression, RMD: Recurrent major depression, EOD: Early-onset depression, LOD: Late-onset depression, CA: Childhood adversity, HC: Healthy control, TCA: Tricyclic antidepressant, SSRI: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, NaSSA: Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant, NRI: Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, SNRI: Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, RIMA: Reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A antidepressant, NR: Not reported, F: Female, M: Male, SD: Standard deviation, PWI: Perfusion-weighted imaging.
-: Data not reported.