Rafael Delgado y Palacios1, Marleen Verhoye1,2, Johan Van Audekerke1, Dirk Poot2, Jan Sijbers2, Ove Wiborg3, Annemie Van der Linden1
1Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; 2Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; 3Centre for Basic Psychiatric Research, Aarhus Psychiatric University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
Depression is a serious and disabling disorder. However, the exact pathophysiology of depression is not clearly understood. The chronic mild stress ratmodel is a well established animal model. In the hippocampus and the corpus callosum and capsula externa of this model, we used diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) as a measure of tissues microstructure. We found changes in the hippocampus of mean and radial kurtosis in the CMS rats in comparison with control rats, suggesting possible stress-induced CA3 apical dendrite atrophy, dendritic regression in granule and CA1 pyramidal cells and reduction of mossy fiber terminals volume and surface area.