White matter hyperintensities and self-reported depression in a sample of patients with chronic headache

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Gianluca Serafini, Sapienza University of Rome; Maurizio Pompili, Sapienza University of Rome; Marco Innamorati, Sapienza University of Rome; Andrea Negro, Sapienza University of Rome; Martina Fiorillo, Sapienza University of Rome; Dorian Lamis, Emory University; Denise Erbuto, Sapienza University of Rome; Francesco Marsibilio, Sant’Andrea Hospital; Andrea Romano, Sapienza University of Rome; Mario Amore, University of Genova; Lidia D'Alonzo, Sapienza University of Rome; Alessandro Bozzao, Sapienza University of Rome; Paolo Girardi, Sapienza University of Rome; Paolo Martelletti, Sapienza University of Rome
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-10-19
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2012.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10194-012-0493-y
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Headache and Pain
• ISSN: 1129-2369
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 661
• End Page: 667
• Keywords: SUICIDE RISK; Self-reported depression; GERIATRIC DEPRESSION; Chronic headache; PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES; CLINICAL NEUROLOGY; Clinical Neurology; COMMUNITY SAMPLE; NEUROSCIENCES; Science & Technology; BIS/BAS SCALES; Neurosciences & Neurology; Neurosciences; BEHAVIORAL ACTIVATION; SCALE CES-D; MOOD DISORDERS; Age; DWMHs; PWMHs; TREATMENT RESPONSE; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; MAJOR AFFECTIVE-DISORDERS
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Radiology; Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) have been associated with mood disorders in psychiatric patients. In the present study, we aimed to assess whether WMHs are associated with depressive symptoms and different sensitivity of the behavioral inhibition (BIS), and activation (BAS) systems in patients with chronic headache. Participants were 85 adult outpatients (16 men and 69 women) with a diagnosis of chronic headache. All of the patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and were administered the BIS/BAS scales and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Above 40 % of patients had periventricular WMHs (PWMHs) and almost 98 % had deep WMHs (DWMHs). Patients with PWMHs reported fewer depressive symptoms than patients without PWMHs. Patients with more severe DWMHs (compared with patients with mild or without DWMH lesions) were older and reported lower scores on the drive dimension of the BIS/BAS scales. In multivariate analyses, patients with PWMHs were 1.06 times more likely to report fewer depressive symptoms than patients without PWMHs. WMH lesions in patients with chronic headache were associated with less depression severity.