Objective: The ultrasound image of the nuclei raphes changes in the group of depressed patients with cervical dystonia and blepharospasm

Background: Nuclei raphe – a group of 9 pairs of cells in the brainstem, contain the largest amounts of serotoninergic neurons. Dysfunctions of the serotoninergic system are the cause of pathological processes, which in turn are the fundamental basis of mental illness as depression.

Method: The study included 76 patients were aged 22-83 years (mean 52.56), with disease duration 9.3 years (SD 8.63) with cervical dystonia (CD),and 76 patient with blepharospasm (BPS) age 28-87 years (SD 10.43). The nuclei raphe (RN) were localized in the transverse plane of the midbrain with a length extending from anterior to posterior, and not interrupted. Hypoechoegenic RN were determined when their echogenicity was reduced compared to the structures surrounding the midbrain or in the absence of anatomical continuity of the raphe nucleus. Depressive disorders were assessed according to Beck scale and in the MADRS scale.

Results: Depressive disorders were present in 36 patients in the total of 72 patients and 40 patients in 94 patients with BPS. An abnormal ultrasound image of RN occurred in 26 people with CD (34.21%) and 27 patients (28.72%) with BPS.A statistically significant correlation was obtained between the ultrasound image of RN and the scale of depressive disorders (both CD and BPS group). The ratio of the chance of an abnormal RN ultrasound image for patients with CD and accompanying depressive disorders determined using the Beck scale in relation to CD patients without depression is 2.5 times higher.The chance of a pathological image of RN in USG in patients with BPS and concurrent depression determined using the Beck scale in relation to patients with BPS without depression  it is over 8 times higher, while the MADRS scale is more than 7 times higher, and the probability of pathological RN in patients with BPS and concomitant depression compared to patients with BPS without depression is almost 5 times higher using the Beck scale  and the MADRS scale.

Conclusion: In the group of patients with CD and comorbid pathological image of RN the severity of depressive disorders was significantly higher than in the group of patients with BPS, who also showed a pathological image of RN (p <0.01).

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-ultrasound-image-of-the-nuclei-raphes-changes-in-the-group-of-depressed-patients-with-cervical-dystonia-and-blepharospasm/