We prospectively investigate protective benefits against depression of cortical thickness across nine regions of a Ventral Frontotemporal Network (VFTN), previously associated with spiritual experience. Seventy-two participants at high and low risk for depression (Mean age 41 years; 22-63 years; 40 high risk, 32 low risk) were drawn from a three-generation, thirty-eight year study. FreeSurfer estimated cortical thickness over anatomical MRIs of the brain (Year 30) for each of the nine ROIs. Depression (MDD with SAD-L; symptoms with PHQ; Years 30 and 38) and spirituality (self-report on five phenotypes; Year 35), respectively, were associated with the weighted average of nine regions of interest. VFTN thickness was: 1) positively associated (p<0.01) with two of five spiritual phenotypes, altruism and love of neighbor, interconnectedness at a trend level, but neither commitment nor practice, 2) inversely associated with a diagnosis of MDD (SADS-L Year 30, for any MDD in the past ten years), and 3) prospectively neuroanatomically protective against depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 Year 38) for those at high familial risk.

我们前瞻性地研究了对先前与精神体验相关的腹侧额颞网络 (VFTN) 的九个区域的皮质厚度抑制的保护益处。72 名处于抑郁症高风险和低风险的参与者（平均年龄 41 岁；22-63 岁；40 名高风险，32 名低风险）来自一项历时三十八年的研究。FreeSurfer 估计了九个 ROI 中每一个的大脑解剖 MRI（第 30 年）的皮质厚度。抑郁症（MDD 与 SAD-L；PHQ 症状；30 岁和 38 岁）和灵性（五种表型的自我报告；35 岁）分别与九个感兴趣区域的加权平均值相关。VFTN 厚度为：1) 与五种精神表型中的两种呈正相关 (p<0.01)，即利他主义和爱邻居，