Transcranial Doppler ultrasound in evaluating cerebral blood flow abnormalities in major depressive disorder

Previous research has shown that blood flow abnormalities affect major depressive disorder (MDD) from multiple perspectives. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocity parameters and clinical symptom scores (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAMD] and Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS]) in patients with MDD. We compared the MCA blood flow velocity parameters, including peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV), end-diastolic velocity (MCA-EDV), and mean velocity (MCA-MV), between 50 MDD patients and 50 control subjects. Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between these parameters and HAMD and MADRS scores. Hemodynamic parameters such as pulsatility index and resistance index were also compared between the 2 groups. MCA-PSV, MCA-EDV, and MCA-MV were significantly lower in MDD patients compared to the control group, while pulsatility index and resistance index were significantly higher. Correlation analysis revealed that MCA-PSV, MCA-EDV, and MCA-MV were significantly negatively correlated with HAMD and MADRS scores in MDD patients, indicating that cerebral blood flow velocity decreases as depressive symptoms worsen. Furthermore, regression analysis confirmed the negative relationship between blood flow velocity parameters and clinical symptom scores. The results of this study suggest that the reduction in cerebral blood flow velocity in MDD patients may be associated with the severity of depressive symptoms. This finding provides new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD and offers a potential theoretical basis for developing depression treatment strategies based on cerebral blood flow velocity parameters.