Reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal activation and right inferior frontal de-oxygenation differ between psychotic and non−psychotic adolescent depression during verbal fluency - Report - MDSpire

Reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal activation and right inferior frontal de-oxygenation differ between psychotic and non−psychotic adolescent depression during verbal fluency

  • By

  • Gang Liu

  • Yu Yang

  • Jie Liao

  • Yanping Feng

  • Sha Zhang

  • Yudiao Liang

  • June 2, 2026

  • 0 min

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Differential Activation Patterns in Adolescent Depression During Verbal Fluency Tasks

Overview

This study investigates hemodynamic responses in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) with and without psychotic features during verbal fluency tasks.

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability globally, with psychotic depression (MDD-Psy) presenting unique challenges due to its association with higher clinical severity and suicide risk.

Data Highlights

GroupKDAS MedianBPRS MedianHbR Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus
MDD-NonPsy13280.00 mM·mm
MDD-Psy1635-0.03 mM·mm

Key Findings

  • Adolescents with MDD-Psy had higher KDAS and BPRS scores compared to MDD-NonPsy.
  • MDD-NonPsy showed positive hemodynamic deviations at specific channels, while MDD-Psy exhibited negative deviations.
  • Only the right inferior frontal gyrus HbR showed significant differences between groups.
  • ROC analyses indicated modest classification accuracy for distinguishing psychosis.
  • HbO and HbR levels correlated with clinical severity scores in both groups.

Clinical Implications

The findings indicate the need for neurobiological differentiation between MDD subtypes.

Conclusion

This study reveals distinct hemodynamic signatures in adolescents with MDD based on the presence of psychotic features.

Related Resources & Content

  1. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- Cortical high-threshold and low-activation characteristics in adolescent depression: a cross-age differential analysis
  2. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- Comparative Analysis of Brain Activity in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Insights from a Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study
  3. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- Task-state P300 and functional brain network abnormalities in adolescent major depressive disorder: a Stroop paradigm study
  4. BMC Psychiatry, 2026 -- Dynamic Functional Connectivity Biomarkers in Verbal Fluency Tasks for Assessing Adolescent Depression via fNIRS Analysis
  5. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Major and Persistent Depressive Disorders - ScienceDirect, 2023
  6. Applications of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in Monitoring Treatment Response in Psychiatry: A Scoping Review - PMC
  7. Full article: Treatment Options for Psychotic Depression in Adolescents: A Comprehensive Review
  8. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Major and Persistent Depressive Disorders - ScienceDirect
  9. Applications of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in Monitoring Treatment Response in Psychiatry: A Scoping Review - PMC
  10. Full article: Treatment Options for Psychotic Depression in Adolescents: A Comprehensive Review

Original Source(s)

Reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal activation and right inferior frontal de-oxygenation differ between psychotic and non−psychotic adolescent depression during verbal fluency

  • by Gang Liu, Yu Yang, Jie Liao, Yanping Feng, Sha Zhang, Yudiao Liang

  • June 2, 2026

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