[Magnetic resonance in patients with affective illness--relationship with silent cerebral infarction].

We reviewed the relationship between affective disorder and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There are many reports that elderly patients with depression had increased small deep white matter lesions than the normal control. We examined silent cerebral infarction (SCI) in patients with presenile and senile major depression. Our findings suggest that half of presenile-onset major depression and the majority of senile-onset major depression might be organic depression related to SCI. Because patients with depressive states with SCI are at high risk of occurrence of stroke, we designated this condition "pre-stroke depression". It is important to begin therapy for cerebrovascular disease at this time.