Study on the executive function of attention in depression patients based on SPECT technology.

Objective: To investigate event-related potential in executive function of attention and characteristics of cerebral perfusion by 99mTc-ECD single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in depression patients receiving the Oddball task.

Methods: A total of 30 depression patients and 30 normal control subjects were selected to carry out the Oddball task. Event-related potential (ERP) technology combined with SPECT imaging technology was used to compare the reaction time, ERP-P300 latency and amplitude, and cerebral perfusion characteristics on sites of brain.

Results: Compared with normal control group, when the Oddball task was performed, the reaction time or ERP-P300 latency was not significantly different in depression patients (P > 0.05), but P300 amplitude on F3 and F7 sites increased significantly (t = 2.241, 2.245, respectively; each P < 0.05). SPECT showed cerebral hypoperfusion in the right basal ganglia, left frontal lobe and temporal lobe of depression patients.

Conclusion: During the Oddball task, the P300 amplitude on F3 and F7 sites increased significantly in depression patients, who also showed cerebral hypoperfusion in the right basal ganglia, left frontal lobe and temporal lobe. The result suggests that depression patients have brain region functional abnormalities involving attention execution and implicit memory processing during auditory channel information processing.