Depression Drains The Brain's Reward Circuitry
Monday, December 21, 2009 - 18:35
in Psychology & Sociology
A new study featured online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that depression patients are unable to sustain activity in brain areas related to positive emotion. The authors say The study challenges previous notions that individuals with depression show less brain activity in areas associated with positive emotion. Instead, the new data suggest similar initial levels of activity, but an inability to sustain them over time. During the study, 27 depressed patients and 19 control participants were presented with visual images intended to evoke either a positive or a negative emotional response. While viewing these images, participants were instructed to use cognitive strategies to increase, read more
