Temporal cortical gray matter volume relates to symptom improvement during cognitive behavioral therapy for depression
Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a first-line treatment for depression, yet treatment responses vary considerably. Understanding neurobiological factors associated with symptom improvement may help elucidate mechanisms underlying therapeutic change. This study investigated whether baseline cortical gray matter volume (GMV) is associated with reductions in depressive symptom severity during CBT. Therefore, n = 52 patients with unipolar affective disorders and at least mild depressive symptoms (according to BDI-II) and n = 42 healthy controls underwent clinical assessments and structural MRI at baseline; depressive symptom severity was reassessed after six months of outpatient CBT. Multiple regression analyses examined associations between pre-treatment cortical GMV and reductions in depressive symptoms under false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Additional models included anxiety, perceived stress, and childhood trauma as predictors. Compared to controls, patients exhibited significantly higher depressive symptom severity at baseline and greater symptom reduction over time (all p < 0.001). Within patients, baseline GMV of the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) was significantly associated with symptom reduction (baseline–follow-up; β = 0.55, p FDR = 0.033). Right MTG volume accounted for additional variance in symptom reduction beyond established clinical variables (Δ R ² = 0.15). Group differences in GMV did not remain significant following FDR correction. These findings suggest that temporal gyrus GMV is associated with symptom improvement following CBT in unipolar depression, extending the focus beyond traditionally emphasized limbic regions. Preserved temporal morphology may support cognitive and emotional processes engaged during CBT, underscoring the relevance of temporal cortical structure for understanding the neurobiological correlates of psychotherapy response.
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BibTeX
@article{schoniger2026temporal,
title = {{Temporal cortical gray matter volume relates to symptom improvement during cognitive behavioral therapy for depression}},
author = {Konrad Schöniger and Robin Kamrla and Philine König and Esther Zwiky and Antonia Küttner and Gina Sophie Scheiwe and Julia Andreev and Johanna Elea Hamann and Annika Brückner and Sina Pletsch and Emilie Wittig and Janine Selle and Alexander Gussew and Andreas Deistung and Oliver Tüscher and Walter Alexander Wohlgemuth and Ronny Redlich},
journal = {Translational Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1038/s41398-026-04545-x},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04545-x},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Temporal cortical gray matter volume relates to symptom improvement during cognitive behavioral therapy for depression
AU - Konrad Schöniger
AU - Robin Kamrla
AU - Philine König
AU - Esther Zwiky
AU - Antonia Küttner
AU - Gina Sophie Scheiwe
AU - Julia Andreev
AU - Johanna Elea Hamann
AU - Annika Brückner
AU - Sina Pletsch
AU - Emilie Wittig
AU - Janine Selle
AU - Alexander Gussew
AU - Andreas Deistung
AU - Oliver Tüscher
AU - Walter Alexander Wohlgemuth
AU - Ronny Redlich
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Translational Psychiatry
DO - 10.1038/s41398-026-04545-x
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04545-x
AB - Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a first-line treatment for depression, yet treatment responses vary considerably. Understanding neurobiological factors associated with symptom improvement may help elucidate mechanisms underlying therapeutic change. This study investigated whether baseline cortical gray matter volume (GMV) is associated with reductions in depressive symptom severity during CBT. Therefore, n = 52 patients with unipolar affective disorders and at least mild depressive symptoms (according to BDI-II) and n = 42 healthy controls underwent clinical assessments and structural MRI at baseline; depressive symptom severity was reassessed after six months of outpatient CBT. Multiple regression analyses examined associations between pre-treatment cortical GMV and reductions in depressive symptoms under false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Additional models included anxiety, perceived stress, and childhood trauma as predictors. Compared to controls, patients exhibited significantly higher depressive symptom severity at baseline and greater symptom reduction over time (all p < 0.001). Within patients, baseline GMV of the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) was significantly associated with symptom reduction (baseline–follow-up; β = 0.55, p FDR = 0.033). Right MTG volume accounted for additional variance in symptom reduction beyond established clinical variables (Δ R ² = 0.15). Group differences in GMV did not remain significant following FDR correction. These findings suggest that temporal gyrus GMV is associated with symptom improvement following CBT in unipolar depression, extending the focus beyond traditionally emphasized limbic regions. Preserved temporal morphology may support cognitive and emotional processes engaged during CBT, underscoring the relevance of temporal cortical structure for understanding the neurobiological correlates of psychotherapy response.
SN - 2158-3188
ER -