Structural brain abnormalities have been widely reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, many previous results cannot exclude the interferences of medication or multiple recurrent episodes. In this study, we examined structural brain abnormalities by comparing 68 drug-naive first-episode adult-onset MDD and 68 healthy controls (HCs). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) methods were used. The mean values of grey matter volume/white matter volume (GMV/WMV) were calculated, then the differences between MDD and HCs were analyzed, and the associations of the differences with clinical characteristics of depression were discussed. The whole brain GMV/WMV did not differ between MDD patients and HCs; however, the regional GMV of the right pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) was smaller in MDD patients. The GMV of both hippocampi was positively correlated with symptom severity and lower in patients with long durations. These results indicate the GMV reduction of the pre-SMA at an early stage of depression, whereas the GMV of the hippocampus is associated with depressive characteristics. Moreover, the whole brain GMV/WMV was negatively related to the duration of depression, supporting that volume loss could become progressive during the development of disease. These results may suggest the importance of identifying and intervening depression at an early stage, especially the first year after onset, to prevent volume loss in the brain. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.