http://www.nitrc.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=6745 <table border="0" width="100%"><tr><td align="left"/></tr></table> <p><b>Quetiapine Extended Release Open-Label Treatment Associated Changes in Amygdala Activation and Connectivity in Anxious Depression: An fMRI Study.</b></p> <p>J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2016 Oct 21;</p> <p>Authors: Altinay M, Karne H, Beall E, Anand A</p> <p>Abstract<br/> BACKGROUND: This study investigated extended release quetiapine (quetiapine XR) associated changes in functional MRI (fMRI) measures of task-induced amygdalar activation and resting state connectivity in anxious unipolar major depressive disorder (AMDD).<br/> METHODS: Anxious unipolar major depressive disorder patients (n = 15) (17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) &gt;18 and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) &gt;18) and closely matched healthy control (HC) subjects were compared at baseline for task induced amygdala activation and resting state connectivity on fMRI. Subsequently, AMDD patients were treated for 8 weeks with open-label quetiapine XR. Weekly HAM-D and HAM-A ratings were obtained, and the fMRI scan was repeated at weeks 2 and 8. Changes in fMRI measures were calculated using repeated-measures analysis of variance and correlation with decrease in HAM-D and HAM-A scores was examined.<br/> RESULTS: At baseline, AMDD compared with HC exhibited increased task-induced left amygdalar activation (P = 0.05 clusterwise corrected) and decreased resting state amygdala-cortical and amygdala-pons connectivity (P &lt; 0.05 clusterwise corrected). Quetiapine XR treatment was associated with significant decrease in HAM-D (df = 1,28; female [F] = 39; P = 0.001) and HAM-A scores (df = 1,28; F = 55; P = 0.001). The AMDD group showed increased amygdala-cortical connectivity (P &lt; 0.05 [clusterwise corrected]) at week 2, which was maintained at week 8. At week 8, additional areas showed increased connectivity including insula and putamen. At 8 weeks, decrease in HAM-D scores correlated with increase in amygdala-mid cingulate and amygdala-cuneus connectivity (P = 0.05 [clusterwise corrected]). Decrease in HAM-A scores correlated with increase in amygdala-cuneus and parietal cortex connectivity (P = 0.05 [clusterwise corrected]).<br/> LIMITATIONS: Small sample-size, open-label single-arm design, HC only tested at baseline, focused only on amygdala.<br/> CONCLUSIONS: Quetiapine XR effects in the treatment of AMDD are associated with modulation of amygdala connectivity.<br/> </p><p>PMID: 27768670 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]</p> en-us Copyright 2000-2026 NITRC OSI Wed, 06 May 2026 3:11:34 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss NITRC RSS generator