Risk of Recurrence of Depressive Episodes Can Be Predicted by fMRI Scans

A new study shows that Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) could help predict whether patients risk a recurrence of depressive episodes after recovery from a major depressive disorder.

The study was carried out by researchers from King’s College London (London, UK) and The University of Manchester (Manchester, UK) and was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

In the study the researchers carried out fMRI scans on 64 patients, who were not on prescribed medication, and were in remission from major depressive disorder, to look for atypical connections in the brain. The study participants’ brains were scanned while they experienced guilt or other self-blaming emotions, and were monitored regularly for symptoms over the following 14 months. By the end of the study 27 participants had a recurrence of the depression, while 37 participants remained in remission. Those participants with a recurrence of depression showed a higher level of connection between the anterior temporal lobe and the sub-genual region of the brain, in the fMRI scans. On the other hand those who remained in remission for a year and a control group of 39 people did not have the increased interconnectedness. The results of the study enabled the researchers to accurately predict (75%, 48 out of 64 cases) who would have another depressive episode.

Dr. Kathryn Adcock, head of neurosciences and mental health, MRC, said, “This exciting research has the potential to help identify those individuals who are more likely to suffer from recurrent episodes of depression and will therefore benefit most from long-term treatment and medication. This work could aid the discovery of new treatments for depression because clinical trials will be better able to focus on people with a more comparable disorder and experience.”

Related Links:
King’s College London
University of Manchester