Optical Coherence Tomography Changes in Major Depressive Disorder Patients

Abstract

Major depressive disorder is a common psychiatric problem that affects nearly 15% of the population in their lifetime. Pathophysiology and brain imaging findings show that degenerative and inflammatory processes may play a role. Meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies in major depressive disorder demonstrated significant gray matter loss. From anatomical and embryological perspectives, the retina can be considered a unique extension of the brain and is able to reflect axonal histopathology. Being unmyelinated, it can provide insight into the pathophysiological processes of diseases with a neurodegenerative element. The aim of this study was to investigate the theory of the possible structural basis for this disorder by comparing retinal optical coherence tomography parameters in a group of major depressive disorder patients with a healthy control group and try to find a correlation between optical coherence tomography parameters and pattern electroretinography parameters.