Scientific reports
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White matter (WM) abnormalities have long been suspected in major depressive disorder (MDD). Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) studies have detected abnormalities in fractional anisotropy (FA) in MDD, but the available evidence has been inconsistent. We performed a quantitative meta-analysis of TBSS studies contrasting MDD patients with healthy control subjects (HCS). ⋯ Descriptive analysis of quartiles, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis further confirmed these findings. Meta-regression analysis revealed that individuals with more severe MDD were significantly more likely to have FA reductions in the genu of the CC. This study provides a thorough profile of WM abnormalities in MDD and evidence that interhemispheric connections and frontal-striatal-thalamic pathways are the most convergent circuits affected in MDD.