We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Study Suggests Depression Changes Brain Structure

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 01 Aug 2017
Print article
Image: Subcortical structures of interest in left, inferior and anterior view (Photo courtesy of Whalley et al./Scientific Reports).
Image: Subcortical structures of interest in left, inferior and anterior view (Photo courtesy of Whalley et al./Scientific Reports).
A large imaging study has found that depression could result in changes in the structure of the brain.

The changes were found in the fiber tracts of the white matter of the brains of patients with depression. Disruption in brain white matter has previously been linked to motion processing and thinking skill problems in patients.

The study was published online, in the July 17, 2017, issue of the journal Nature: Scientific Reports by scientists from the University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland), and from the University of Glasgow (Glasgow, Scotland). This is the largest study of its kind to date, and included nearly 3,500 volunteers from the UK Biobank research resource. The study was part of the Stratifying Resilience and Depression Longitudinally (STRADL) program intended to identify risk factors and find sub-types of depression. The scientists’ goal was to investigate the biology of depression, and help find improved diagnoses and treatments.

The scientists used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) scans to map and investigate the white matter integrity of the brain. The results showed that white matter integrity was only less in people with depression-like symptoms, but not in people without depression. Symptoms of depression include exhaustion, a low mood, and feelings of emptiness for example.

Senior Research Fellow from the Division of Psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, Heather Whalley, said, "This study uses data from the largest single sample published to date and shows that people with depression have changes in the white matter wiring of their brain. There is an urgent need to provide treatment for depression and an improved understanding of it mechanisms will give us a better chance of developing new and more effective methods of treatment. Our next steps will be to look at how the absence of changes in the brain relates to better protection from distress and low mood."

Related Links:
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
NMUS & MSK Ultrasound
InVisus Pro
3T MRI Scanner
MAGNETOM Cima.X
40/80-Slice CT System
uCT 528
New
Portable X-ray Unit
AJEX140H

Print article

Channels

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: The addition of POC ultrasound can enhance first trimester obstetrical care (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

POC Ultrasound Enhances Early Pregnancy Care and Cuts Emergency Visits

A new study has found that implementing point-of-care ultrasounds (POCUS) in clinics to assess the viability and gestational age of pregnancies in the first trimester improved care for pregnant patients... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: PSMA-PET/CT images of an 85-year-old patient with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (Photo courtesy of Dr. Adrien Holzgreve)

Advanced Imaging Reveals Hidden Metastases in High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients

Prostate-specific membrane antigen–portron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) imaging has become an essential tool in transforming the way prostate cancer is staged. Using small amounts of radioactive “tracers,”... Read more

General/Advanced Imaging

view channel
Image: Automated methods enable the analysis of PET/CT scans (left) to accurately predict tumor location and size (right) (Photo courtesy of Nature Machine Intelligence, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s42256-024-00912-9)

Deep Learning Based Algorithms Improve Tumor Detection in PET/CT Scans

Imaging techniques are essential for cancer diagnosis, as accurately determining the location, size, and type of tumors is critical for selecting the appropriate treatment. The key imaging methods include... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.