Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) ventral to the genu of the corpus callosum has been implicated in the modulation of visceral responses to stressful and emotionally provocative stimuli, based upon analysis of lesion effects involving this area in humans and experimental animals. In a recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of familial mood disorders, we demonstrated that the mean grey matter volume of this cortex is abnormally reduced in subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder, irrespective of their treatment status or current mood state. Moreover, in preliminary histopathological assessments of subgenual PFC tissue taken post mortem from subjects with MDD and bipolar disorder we obtained results suggesting that this decrement in grey matter volume is associated with a reduction in glia without an equivalent loss of neurons. The potential functional significance of these neuroimaging and microscopic abnormalities is discussed with respect to evidence that subgenual PFC dysfunction may disturb stress-related autonomic and neuroendocrine responses and reward-related mesolimbic dopamine function. These data may thus hold important implications for the development of neural models of mood disorders that can account for the abnormal hedonic, motivational, neuroendocrine, and autonomic manifestations evident in these idiopathic conditions.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Drevets, W., Öngür, D. & Price, J. Neuroimaging abnormalities in the subgenual prefrontal cortex: implications for the pathophysiology of familial mood disorders. Mol Psychiatry 3, 220–226 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000370
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000370
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Patients with postprandial distress syndrome experience problems with their interoceptive perceptual function to the gastric region, but their heartbeat perception is normal: a case control study
BioPsychoSocial Medicine (2023)
-
A translational perspective on the anti-anhedonic effect of ketamine and its neural underpinnings
Molecular Psychiatry (2022)
-
A unified model of the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder
Molecular Psychiatry (2022)
-
Altered brain activation during reward anticipation in bipolar disorder
Translational Psychiatry (2022)
-
Resting state functional connectivity predictors of treatment response to electroconvulsive therapy in depression
Scientific Reports (2019)