Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40858550›Full record

ArticleTranslational psychiatry2025

Limbic gray matter increases in response to cognitive-behavioral therapy in major depressive disorder.

Esther Zwiky, Tiana Borgers, Melissa Klug, Philine König, Konrad Schöniger, Janine Selle, Antonia Küttner, Luisa Brunner, Elisabeth J Leehr, Udo Dannlowski and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Translational psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Esther Zwiky *Department of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6733-8087
Tiana Borgers *Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Melissa KlugInstitute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2234-4096
Philine KönigDepartment of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany.
Konrad SchönigerDepartment of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1849-9490
Janine SelleDepartment of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany.
Antonia KüttnerDepartment of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany.
Luisa BrunnerDepartment of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany.
Elisabeth J LeehrInstitute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9264-5003
Udo DannlowskiInstitute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0623-3759
Verena EnnekingInstitute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6547-0324
Ronny RedlichDepartment of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany. ronny.redlich@psych.uni-halle.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7018-4525

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) RE4458/1-1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is related to volumetric decreases in (cortico-)limbic brain regions. In contrast to pharmacological and electroconvulsive therapy, little is known about the brain structural effects of psychotherapy and potential links to symptom improvements. In a naturalistic longitudinal study using structural magnetic resonance tomography, gray matter volume (GMV) and clinical measures were assessed in 30 outpatients with MDD before and after 20 cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions. Data from 30 healthy controls was acquired. Region-of-interest analyses revealed significant GMV increases within patients for the right anterior hippocampus and the bilateral amygdala, resulting in a significant group-by-time interaction for the left amygdala (p ≤ 0.022). Simultaneously, analyses revealed volumetric decreases in the right posterior hippocampus (p = 0.016). While there were no associations with overall symptom improvement, right amygdala volume increases were slightly associated with improvements in identifying feelings (r

Indexed as

AmygdalaCognitive Behavioral TherapyGray MatterHippocampusLimbic SystemMajor Depressive DisorderAdultFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID40858550
PMCPMC12381077

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.