Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Reveals Abnormal Hemodynamics in the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Menopausal Depression Patients

Background/Objective. Menopausal depression (MD) is characterized by depressive symptoms along with hormonal fluctuations. We investigate brain function alteration between major depressive disorder (MDD) and MD. Methods. The difference in oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) for the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was compared retrospectively among 90 females presented with 30 MDD, 30 MD, and 30 healthy controls (HCs) using verbal fluency task (VFT) with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Results. We observed a significant difference in Oxy-Hb alteration in the left dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) using VFT with NIRS (channel 18, P = 0.007) between the MD and MDD groups. A significant difference in Oxy-Hb levels was observed among the three groups in the bilateral DLPFC (channels 18, 27, 33, 39, 41, and 45; P < 0.05). Compared to the HCs, the MD group presented lower Oxy-Hb activation in the right DLPFC (channel 41; P = 0.048) and the left DLPFC (channels 18, 39, and 45; P < 0.05), and the MDD group presented lower Oxy-Hb activation in the right DLPFC (channels 27, 33, and 41; P < 0.05) and the left DLPFC (channels 39 and 45; P < 0.05). Conclusion. Abnormal hemodynamics of the left DLPFC can differentiate MD from MDD by NIRS.