背景:近年來功能性造影檢查常發現憂鬱症患者腦血流異常。本研究以鎝-99mHMPAO單光子放射斷層造影檢查偵測 憂鬱症患者之局部腦血流變化，並評估憂鬱症嚴重性與腦血流變化類型的關係。

方法:本研究包括15例經精神科診斷標準DSM-IV認定為憂鬱症的病患，病患之Hamilton分級標準均大於18分，且無精神疾病症狀。病患並依憂鬱症之嚴重性分成三類:7例輕微·6例中度及2例重度。單光子放射斷層造影檢查為靜脈注5mCi鎝-99mHMPAO 1小時後悶始造影。

結果:15例病患中·5例局部腦血流於副緣腦系統處(兩側額葉、顯葉及基底核)明頁頁降低; 3例於左額葉降低;1例於左 顯葉降低:1例於左側基底核降低;另5例未發現異常。憂鬱症嚴重性與局部腦血流變化類型之間無明顯差異。

結論:鎝-99mHMPAO翠光子放射斷層造影檢查可有效偵測憂鬱症患者之局部腦血流變化，並發現不同類型的變化， 瞭解這些局部腦血流變化的類型有助於是鬱症的臨床診斷及治療。

Background: Recent functional imaging studies have demonstrated that depressed patients frequently exhibit abnormal brain perfusion. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between the severity of depression and the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) patterns using 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT images.

Methods: Fifteen patients who met the criteria of major depression without psychotic feature and with the score of the Hamilton depression rating scale more than 18 were included. They were also divided into 3 subgroups (7 mild， 6 moderate and 2 severe). The SPECT images were created 1 h after intravenous administration of 15 mCi (555 MBq) 99mTc-HMPAO.

Results: The rCBF was markedly decreased in the paralimbic brain regions (bilateral frontal cortices， temporal cortices and basal ganglia) in 5 patients. Three showed hypoperfusion in left frontal areas， 1 in left basal ganglia and 1 in left temporal area. The remaining 5 individuals revealed negative results. The severity of depression correlated poorly with rCBF.

Conclusion: 99mTc-HMPAO brain SPECT study is valuable to assess rCBF in patients with major depression. It appears to be different patterns of rCBF in major depression. Recognition of these regional abnormalities may have clinical utility in both diagnosis and treatment of depression