Brain Activity Can Predict Success of Depression Treatment

Posted on June 5, 2018

McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers believe they have uncovered a method that could be useful in predicting a depressed patient's treatment prognosis, prior to starting treatment. The study shows that it is possible to predict a patient's response to an antidepressant by looking at the activation level of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) region of the brain by using a non-invasive monitoring system to test brain activity called an electroencephalogram, also known as an EEG.

This is the first study to demonstrate the 'incremental predictive validity' of this neural marker, that is, the fact that activity in this brain region predicts the likelihood of treatment response above and beyond the contribution of a range of low-cost and easily administered clinical and demographic characteristics previously shown to predict treatment outcome.

For the new study, more than 300 patients were tested at four sites in the United States, using sertraline for the treatment group. It was shown that the rostral ACC marker predicted clinical response eight weeks later, even when statistically controlling for demographics and clinical variables previously linked to treatment response. Also, for those with the marker of good response, a clinician could tell patients that they have a high chance of benefiting from the intervention, and they should stay engaged in treatment.

In future, researchers might develop cognitive training that specifically targets certain regions which could increase brain activation to accelerate or boost response to more traditional intervention. The researchers hope to engage in further research into this concept by testing patients with major depressive disorder.


Category(s):Depression

Source material from Science Daily