However, dysregulation of the inflammatory response can trigger a cascade that affects neuronal development and subsequent downstream behavioral phenotypes. Our results are suggestive of elevation of IL-6 levels and reduction in GMV, with the largest associations within the MTG, a key area of language, semantic memory processing, and sensory integration implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. These findings extend recent evidence of association between inflammation and brain structure in schizophrenia and depression and address uncertainties of smaller samples and confounding. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and major depressive disorder.