The protective effect of vitamin D supplementation as adjunctive therapy to antidepressants on brain structural and functional connectivity of patients with major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial

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#humans #major-depressive-disorder #female #male #adult

The protective effect of vitamin D supplementation as adjunctive therapy to antidepressants on brain structural and functional connectivity of patients with major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial

Zhao et al., 2024 | Psychol Med | Rct

Citation

Zhao Wenming, Zhu Dao-Min, ... Yu Yongqiang. The protective effect of vitamin D supplementation as adjunctive therapy to antidepressants on brain structural and functional connectivity of patients with major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med. 2024-Jul;54(10):2403-2413. doi:10.1017/S0033291724000539

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence points to the pivotal role of vitamin D in the pathophysiology and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research investigating the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the brain of MDD patients. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind randomized controlled trial in 46 MDD patients, who were randomly allocated into either VD (antidepressant medication + vitamin D supplementation) or NVD (antidepressant medication + placebos) groups. Data from diffusion tensor imaging, resting-state functional MRI, serum vitamin D concentration, and clinical symptoms were obtained at baseline and after an average of 7 months of intervention. RESULTS: Both VD and NVD groups showed significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms but with no significant differences between the two groups. However, a greater increase in serum vitamin D concentration was found to be associated with greater improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms in VD group. More importantly, neuroimaging data demonstrated disrupted white matter integrity of right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus along with decreased functional connectivity between right frontoparietal and medial visual networks after intervention in NVD group, but no changes in VD group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation as adjunctive therapy to antidepressants may not only contribute to improvement in clinical symptoms but also help preserve brain structural and functional connectivity in MDD patients.

Key Findings

Both VD and NVD groups showed significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms but with no significant differences between the two groups. However, a greater increase in serum vitamin D concentration was found to be associated with greater improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms in VD group. More importantly, neuroimaging data demonstrated disrupted white matter integrity of right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus along with decreased functional connectivity between right fro

Outcomes Measured

  • anxiety
  • depression

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition anxiety

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Female
  • Male
  • Adult
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Vitamin D
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Middle Aged
  • Brain
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • White Matter

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Rct
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Vertical: vitamin-d-mood

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09