Jarukasemkit S.Tam K.M.Yoadsanit S.Easley T.Modi H.Stahl L.Kampaengtip A.Chansakul T.Janamnuaysook R.Hiransuthikul A.Chunharas C.Bijsterbosch J.D.Mahidol University2025-03-192025-03-192025-05-01Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology Vol.22 (2025)https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/106707This study aims to investigate functional and neurotransmitter signaling in the prefrontal-hippocampal pathway in relation to depression in a cohort of Thai transgender women. Twenty participants completed mental health surveys and imaging between January and March 2024. Depression severity was measured by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores. Higher PHQ-9 scores were associated with lower GABA levels in the hippocampus, and with lower fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. However, removal of the hippocampal GABA outlier resulted in a non-significant relationship with PHQ-9. Therefore, future studies with larger datasets should further investigate the association between GABA and depression in a transgender cohort. These findings revealed interactions between neurotransmitter signaling and functional brain activity of the hippocampal-prefrontal circuit in depression.PsychologyNeuroscienceMedicineImmunology and MicrobiologyArticleSCOPUS10.1016/j.cpnec.2025.1002882-s2.0-8600029129626664976