Brain Scans Predict Effectiveness of Depression Treatment

In a recent study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine found that brain scans can predict which patients with clinical depression are most likely to benefit from a specific kind of talk therapy. The study is the first to use a technique known as resting-state functional brain connectivity MRI to identify differences in brain wiring that can predict therapeutic responses to talk therapy. “In the future, we will be able to use non-invasive brain imaging technology to match patients with the treatment option that has the best chance of lifting their depression,” said the study’s lead author. Furthermore, if doctors can identify the best treatment immediately, doctors and patients could avoid months of trial and error, dramatically reducing the often debilitating effects of depression for patients and their families. To read more about this study, click here.