COMPARATIVE FUNCTIONAL STUDY OF TWO PSYCHIATRIC PATHOLOGIES BY MEANS OF BRAINSPECT TC 99 HMPAO: MAJOR DEPRESSION AND BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER.

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

The results obtained of the Neurospect in Borderline Personality Disorder patients to whom the test of Wisconsin was applied versus patients in basal conditions, can be evaluated in graphic III, where we present only the results considering the statistical criteria of significance P < 0.05.

In analysis of results with significant differences in brain perfusion measured with Brain SPECT HMPAO Tc 99m, the following areas of Brodmann were abnormal: 24, 28, 32, 40, 44 in the left and right hemisphere and the area defined as M (left and right) and which corresponds to the anterior projection of Dorsolateral Prefrontal cortex.

The areas 36 (left), 32, 9 and 46 (right) were affected unilaterally.

Following suggestion of Prof. Francisco Aboitiz (Director of Morphology Program, Fac. Of Medicine, U. de Chile) the areas 11 + 12 and 32 + 24 were grouped in order to decrease the possibility of error in the anatomic definition of these zones, the first corresponding to the frontal orbital cortex and the second to the anterior cyngulate plus area 32. In this case de merging of 11 + 12 in Borderline patients presents significance with a P of 0.027 in the right hemisphere exclusively, whereas the grouping of 32 + 24 presents a significance larger in the left (P 0.000109) than in the right (P 0.000197) (graphic V). The same was done in the study of mayor depression and the results can be seen in graphic VI.

GRAPH III

Borderline Personality Disorder

Statistical Analysis of Basal and Wisconsin Activated Brain Perfusion.

Maximal effect on Anterior Cyngulate Gyrus (Area 24 ,followed by subgenual area (Area 25), area 40 and area 32 in left hemisphere, and area 28 in right hemisphere

Statistical Significant areas of Brodmann after Activation Borderline Personality Disorder

GRAPH IV

Statistical Significant areas of Brodmann after Activation Mayor Depression

The difference between Basal and Wisconsin Activated studies is Statistically Significant in both anterior cyngulate gyri and left area 12 (p<0.009). There is more hypoperfusion during Wisconsin also in Right area 38, right órbito-frontal, area 11 and left area 25 (P<0.05). Of note there was extense BASAL hypoperfusion in area left órbito-frontal and left area 38, that explains the lack of change during Activation.

GRAPH V

Statistical Significant areas of Brodmann after Activation Borderline Personality Disorder

Merging of AREA 11 and 12 ( Color Green)
Merging of Area 32 and 24 (Color Red)

Right Hemisphere

GRAPH VI

Statistical Significant areas of Brodmann after Activation Major Depression

Merging of AREA 11 and 12
Merging of Area 32 and 24

While comparing the grouping of areas 32 + 24 the result was the following:

1.- Both groups have the same dispersion, in the area 11 + 12 and the Student T test was applied, nevertheless in the area 32 + 24 the dispersions were different, therefore it was applied the test of Kruskal-Wallis.

2.- In the areas 11 + 12 there are only statistically significant differences in the right side (t-student = 2-07 with a p-value of 0.027), which show that the studies performed during Wisconsin Test depicted significantly more negative averages than the basal group.

3.- In the areas 32 + 24, the left as well as the right show statistically significant differences in favor of the Wisconsin group, meaning that if the values are negative, these are significantly more negative than the basal group.

Left side:

Different variables test of Bartlett´s = 5.524 with p-value 0.000109 and Kruskal-Wallis = 12.717 con p-value = 0.000362.:

Right side:

Different variables test of Bartlett´s = 4.031 with p-value = 0.000107 Kruskal Wallis = 11.142 with p-value = 0.0008.

The averages of the significant results in Borderline patients are compared with the significant results in depressive patients in Table V. Then Table VI is presented comparing merged areas 11 + 12+ and 32 + 24 of both groups of patients.

TABLE V

Comparison of Mean Blood flow Changes during Wisconsin Activation in Depressive and Borderline Personality Disorders Patients

TABLE VI

Comparison of Mean Blood flow Changes during Wisconsin Activation in Depressive Versus Borderline Personality Disorders (Merged areas )

Summary | Introduction | Methology | Statistical Analysis | Analysis of results | Conclusions | References | Complete Version | Article Home