Transcranial ultrasonography findings in seeking diagnostic markers of affective and neurotic disorders
Abstract
Introduction: An effective treatment of mental disorders and it's development require seeking for their neurobiological markers. Transcranial ultrasonography (TCS) is a brain imaging method, which is able to depict certain brain structures with a high accuracy.
In depressive and selected anxiety disorders, it revealed a reduced echogenicity of the brainstem raphe, a part of which the raphe nuclei are. Objective: Our objective was to determine, whether the reduced brainstem raphe echogenicity is related to the dispositional factor for depressive and anxiety disorders.
Material and method: One hundred students with no history of mental or neurological disease were examined using TCS and, at the same time, the five-dimension revised NEO Personality Inventory, Beck's scales of anxiety and depression, the Social Re-adjustment Rating Scale, and genetic testing in order to determine polymorphisms in the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene. Results: Anechogenic brainstem raphe was found in 11% of the participants, hypoechogenic one in 29%, and normoechogenic one in 60%.
Only an increased score of the Social Re-adjustment Rating Scale, an increased agreeableness z-score, and an increased total percentage of the long allele of the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene were found in the anechogenic brainstem raphe group as compared to the normoechogenic one. Conclusion: Ascertained personal characteristics and genetic outcomes do not support the link between rapheal hypoechogenicity and known dispositional factors for depressive and anxiety disorders.
Only an increased occurrence of stressful life events in anechogenic subjects during the 6 months preceding the examination is in accordance with known etiopathogenetic findings in these mental disorders. Our findings failed to prove that the reduced brainstem echogenicity is a trait marker of depressive and anxiety disorders, however, it is possible to consider a role of this condition as a state marker.