White matter free water and depressive symptoms in medication-free depressed adolescents: moderation by peripheral inflammation.

ABSTRACT: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) often emerges during adolescence and significantly impacts psychological and social functioning. Increasing evidence links both peripheral inflammation and white matter abnormalities to the pathophysiology of MDD. Free-water (FW) imaging, sensitive to neuroinflammatory and microstructural changes, enables investigation of their interplay in depression. However, the role of FW imaging in adolescents with MDD, along with its clinical and inflammatory associations, remains underexplored. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis and exploratory analysis of the relationship between white matter FW, peripheral inflammation, and depressive symptoms in adolescents. 3-T multi-shell diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data and peripheral cytokine were c

SUBMITTER: Li W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12534485 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature