# Comparing sensorimotor and association cortex contributions in late life depression

> **NIH NIH R01** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $70,952

## Abstract

Approximately 10% of people aged 60+ suffer from depression. Such late-life depression (LLD)
is linked to broader adverse health outcomes such as stroke and dementia. Although individual
regions have been identified as neural correlates of LLD, there is no single brain region that
explains LLD. Instead, LLD is associated with a highly multivariate and complex pattern of
neural changes which can be challenging to interpret. Prior work suggests that the
sensorimotor-association axis is a key organizational principle and developmental pathway of
the human connectome, which may provide a foundation for understanding the spatial
distribution of LLD neural correlates across the brain. In Aim 1 of this proposal we will
systematically assess multivariate associations between LLD and whole-brain resting state
functional connectivity and map the results onto seven canonical brain networks within the
framework of the sensorimotor-association axis. The results will provide an unbiased
interpretable spatial pattern of the neural correlates of LLD covering the whole brain. In Aim 2,
we will identify symptom-specific spatial patterns of LLD neural correlates. Specifically, we
hypothesized that cognitive symptoms such as rumination may rely on association cortices,
whereas psychomotor symptoms such as slowed reaction time may explain unimodal
involvement in LLD.
The candidate, Kassandra Hamilton, joined Dr. Bijsterbosch’s lab in the summer for 2023
through the BP-ENDURE Program. By way of this NIH Diversity Supplement, she is seeking
one year of mentored training in neuroimaging, geriatric psychiatry, computational analytics, and
career development to strengthen her application to PhD programs, support her preparedness
for starting graduate school, and support her longer-term career trajectory towards becoming a
neuroimaging scientist.
Public health significance: The results from Aim 1 are expected to reduce the current bias
towards specific association cortices (specifically default mode, salience, and executive control
networks) in research regarding the neural correlates of LLD, and prompt increased research
efforts into the role of sensorimotor cortices in LLD. The results from Aim 2 will provide unique
symptom-level insights into the neural correlates of LLD which are expected to inform research
into LLD heterogeneity, and which may highlight distinct symptom-level treatment pathways.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11064657
- **Project number:** 3R01MH128286-03S2
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Janine Diane Bijsterbosch
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $70,952
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-08-05 → 2025-04-23

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11064657

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11064657, Comparing sensorimotor and association cortex contributions in late life depression (3R01MH128286-03S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11064657. Licensed CC0.

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