The objective of the present study was to compare the maximum width of the third ventricle(V3) in brain computed tomographic (CT) scans of patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and normal healthy controls in psychiatry clinics and wards of Iran University of Medical Sciences and radiology Department of Hazrat Rasoul Hospital. First, during a pilot study, interrater and intrarater reliability of the researcher in obtaining CT values were assessed. Then, patients consequently admitted to the psychiatry clinics were included if they met MDD and inclusion criteria, and if they had filled informed consent. Controls who met inclusion criteria were selected from healthy persons admitted to CT department using planimetric and densiometric methods. CT scans of 30 patients and 30 age and sex matched controls were assessed and linear values and ventricular brain ratio(VBR) were measured. Data was assessed by using independent sample, two-tailed t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The mean width of V3 showed significant difference between all age and sex subgroups of patients and controls(P<0.5). There was a significant difference between patients and controls younger than 40 in linear values of frontal lobe, Huckmann number and VBR(P<0.5 in all cases), but no difference was observed in older groups. Correlation assessment showed that the sooner the illness began and the longer its duration was, the greater the maximum width of V3 (r=-0.37 and 0.37 respectively) and interhemispheric fissure(r=-0.39 and 0.39 respectively) were. Also, number of episodes was positively correlated with VBR and maximum width of V3 (r=0.5 and 0.52 respectively). Based on the findings, it could be hypothesized that there is an enlarged third ventricle of the brain in patients with MDD. Also, MDD can accelerate age-related decrease of the brain tissue of the fronal lobe, but does not increase it.

Keywords: Key Words: 1) Depression 2) Computed Tomography

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