Brain Imaging Studies Detect Depression Even Without Current Symptoms: Experts Say

Brain imaging is a big help in detecting depression before the onset of any symptoms according to the researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who conducted their most recent study among children at high risk.

An estimated of 350 million people are now suffering from depression according to World Health Organization as posted on Mail Online. Depression is a stern mental health disorder that affects many aspects of someone's life that may lead to suicidal ideations. It is a condition more complex than having  chemical brain imbalances where different factors such as environment, genetics and psychological plays and important role.

The study was conducted among 43 children aged eight to 14 -- having 27 of them at high risk of developing depression because of the familial predisposition factor. They are hooked to an fMRI machine that detects the movement of the blood inside the brain as posted on Popular Science. Researchers focused on the patterns of communication found in the brain when it is not trying to complete a task or in a rest state. 

Moreover, they discovered in the MRI results of the children high risk for depression, that there is a connection between the amygdala and the inferior frontal gyrus, the one responsible for the modulation of emotion. Hence, they saw  a weak connection between the frontal and parietal cortex, the part that is used in such decision-making process.

The team also found out that there is a particularly resilient connection between the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and the default mode network, the same pattern was found in depressed adults MRI results. The further goal of the study is to track the changes in their brain function and follow-up the children when they grow up to see if who among them develop depression as well.

MIT Brain Cognitive Sciences professor John Gabrieli  is hopeful for preventive treatments with regard to depression because they do not want to wait and just see people suffering in future, hence, giving them a hand before the condition may develop is a priority as posted on Newsmax Health.