Depression (neuroimaging)
Aspects of neuroimaging research on depression to be aware of include:-
In summary the amygdala and subgenual ACC appear to be overactive in depression, and the DLPFC underactive.
Ian H. Neuroimaging and Depression, Current Status and Unresolved Issues. Current directions in Psychological Science. 2008, 17: 2.
- Amygdala volume decreases significantly with increasing number of depressive episodes
- Studies using positron emission tomography (PET) to examine neural activity have found elevated baseline amygdala activity in depression that is positively correlated with depressive severity
- Depressed persons have also been found to exhibit greater amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli, particularly negatively valenced stimuli, than do controls
- Investigators have found increased levels of activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)
- A number of studies have reported decreased volume in the subgenual ACC associated with depression
- Researchers have found depressed individuals to exhibit less dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) reactivity to affective stimuli than do healthy controls
In summary the amygdala and subgenual ACC appear to be overactive in depression, and the DLPFC underactive.
Ian H. Neuroimaging and Depression, Current Status and Unresolved Issues. Current directions in Psychological Science. 2008, 17: 2.
