Brain Scans Predict Effectiveness of Talk Therapy to Treat Depression

New research from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine discovered common neural patterns in those who would benefit heavily from therapy to treat major depression, according to a study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. The study followed 23 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder who had not yet received treatment, who were then scanned using a resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) in order to view the processes of known neuron networks while the brain was not being engaged or challenged. Each subject was mapped for their unique neuron group activity, effectively creating a profile of their general brain activity. A 12-week program was then introduced using behavioral-activation talk-therapy, focused on immediate symptom concerns such as everyday function and health. Upon finishing the program, those who displayed the most progress shared two connectivity patterns within the anterior insular cortex, associated with focus control and the orbital frontal cortex, which is tasked with assigning positive or negative values to events. “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 senior author of the study. “In my mind, that’s as important as developing new treatments. We already have a lot of excellent treatments but no way to know which one is best for a particular patient.” To learn more about this study, click here.