Objective To analyze the cerebral blood flow changes in patients with newly diagnosed untreated early-onset depression (EOD), using three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL), and to explore its relationship with clinical phenotypes. Methods The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) scores, 3D T1WI, and 3D-pCASL brain images of 65 untreated EOD patients and 55 healthy volunteers(HC group) were collected. SPM 12 and DPABI_V7.0 software were used to preprocess and analyze the whole brain images in two groups. Xjview software was used to analyze the value of cerebral blood flow (CBF) at the whole brain level of the two groups, and SPSS 25.0 software was used to evaluate the correlation of CBF values with HAMD scores and CTQ scores. Results Compared with the HC group, the CBF of the EOD group was reduced significantly［P<0.05,  cluster size>50, false discovery rate(FDR) correction］ in the right opercular inferior frontal gyrus (t=5.89), right temporo-parieto-occipital (TPO) region (t=6.49), and blood perfusion increased significantly (P<0.05, cluster size>50, FDR correction) in the left superior frontal gyrus (t=5.31) and left insular lobe (t=4.70). Conclusion The proportion of EOD patients with childhood trauma experience is relatively large. EOD patients have both reduced areas and increased areas in cerebral perfusion. The CBF value of the right TPO area is negatively correlated with HAMD scores; The CBF value of the left superior frontal gyrus is positively correlated with the total score of CTQ and the index of physical neglect score in CTQ, which is different from the result  of studies that do not distinguish between early-onset and late-onset depression. 

 

 Early-onset depression, Cerebral blood flow, Childhood trauma, Magnetic resonance imaging, 3D pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling, Human