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Preliminary studies have shown that several areas of the paralimbic cortex are thinner in depressed patients, but these patients were often taking antidepressants. These investigators examined paralimbic cortical thickness in 20 medication-naive, acutely ill, first-episode depressed patients; 20 medication-free patients recovered from a first episode of depression; and 31 healthy comparison subjects.
Examined areas encompassed orbitofrontal, cingulate, insular, parahippocampal, and temporopolar cortices. Tests included clinical ratings of mood, state anxiety, and trait anxiety and tests of intelligence, verbal and nonverbal memory, and executive function. Maps derived from magnetic resonance imaging were used to calculate cortical thickness …