Characterization of resting-state fMRI-derived functional connectivity in patients with deficiency versus excess patterns of major depression.

•Brain functional connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex differs between patients with major depression and healthy controls.•Major depression is associated with the dysfunction of multiple brain areas.•The disruption patterns of functional connectivity in resting-state fMRI differ between major depression patient groups separated according to traditional Chinese medicine-defined syndromes.•Clinical syndromes of major depression are associated with abnormalities of functional activity in the default mode network.