Study Suggests Amygdala Response Can Predict Depression Treatment Outcomes

Study Suggests , Amygdala Response , Can Predict Depression Treatment Outcomes.
'PsyPost' reports that a recent study found that people
with major depressive disorder with lower amygdala
activation are less likely to experience improvement. .
'PsyPost' reports that a recent study found that people
with major depressive disorder with lower amygdala
activation are less likely to experience improvement. .
The findings could help develop personalized treatment
plans for people with depression by identifying patients
who are less likely to respond to standard treatment.
The findings could help develop personalized treatment
plans for people with depression by identifying patients
who are less likely to respond to standard treatment.
The low success rate of initial
treatment underscores the need
for personalized treatment plans. .
Recording functional MRI signal whilst
seeing pictures of facial expressions of
emotions has been used widely to detect
an unconscious bias towards negative
versus positive emotional stimuli
in anxious individuals with
and without depression, Roland Zahn, senior author and a professor
of mood disorders and cognitive neuroscience
at King’s College London, via 'PsyPost'.
According to the results, a person's lower bilateral
amygdala activation in response to seeing sad versus
happy faces predicted poorer clinical outcomes.
After four moths of standard treatment, participants
with a weaker amygdala response to seeing
happy faces were less likely to see improvement.
After four moths of standard treatment, participants
with a weaker amygdala response to seeing
happy faces were less likely to see improvement.
'PsyPost' reports that the findings suggest that the brain's
ability to process positive emotions may play a critical
role in recovery outcomes for patients with depression.
We confirmed our prediction based
on previous research that people with
a weaker amygdala response to positive
relative to negative facial expressions
were less likely to improve their
depressive symptoms after four months, Roland Zahn, senior author and a professor
of mood disorders and cognitive neuroscience
at King’s College London, via 'PsyPost'.
The team behind the study suggests
treatments be developed that enhance the
brain's natural response to positive stimuli. .
The findings were detailed in a study published in the journal 'Psychological Medicine.'