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0 / 30 Fotos
Diagnosis
- Nearly one in five people in the US suffer from depression, but many are misdiagnosed, which has often led to ineffective and costly treatments that can be incredibly frustrating and harmful. This is because many mental health care centers currently use a trial-and-error approach to determining health issues.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Treatment
- Many patients with depression struggle for years to find effective treatment, cycling through various medications and therapies, which can be disheartening and delay recovery.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Stanford's new approach
- Researchers at Stanford are working on a revolutionary way to improve depression diagnosis by identifying unique biomarkers for each type of depression. This could enable targeted treatments and potentially transform how depression is treated.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Study methods
- Using machine learning and brain imaging, the Stanford team recently analyzed the brains of hundreds of patients and helped them identify six distinct subtypes of depression, known as "biotypes."
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Current psychiatry limits
- Unlike other medical fields, psychiatry often relies on self-reported symptoms without using biological tests for diagnosis. The Stanford study aims to change that by introducing biologically-based diagnostics.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Future treatment
- Although the study is still years from clinical application, mental health professionals see it as a promising step toward using brain scans to diagnose and treat depression more accurately, akin to how cardiologists use X-rays.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Experts
- Experts not involved in the study have praised the research for moving towards measurable biological markers that could improve depression diagnosis and treatment.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Treatment-resistant depression
- Despite medical interventions, as many as 30% of patients with mental dysfunctions don’t improve. Better diagnostic tools are needed, which is where the Stanford study comes in.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Technology
- The researchers at Stanford have employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain regions and circuits most associated with depression, including the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Brain circuits
- Each depression biotype represents a malfunction in a specific brain circuit, which leads to different symptoms and a different type of depression. Identifying these circuits helps tailor treatment to the individual’s specific brain dysfunction.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Broken connections - Disrupted brain circuits can affect attention, memory, cognitive flexibility, decision-making, and even emotional regulation, all of which contribute to the varied symptoms seen in depression.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Study participants
- The study undertaken by Stanford involved scanning the brains of more than 800 participants diagnosed with depression or anxiety, analyzing their brain activity both at rest and during cognitive and emotional tasks. This dual approach has never been done before.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Six specific patterns
- The study identified six specific patterns of brain dysfunction corresponding to six major brain circuits, each associated with a distinct type of depression. Let’s take a look at what they are.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
1. Default mode circuit
- This brain circuit is active during internal mental processes like introspection. When it is disrupted, it affects these processes, potentially leading to symptoms like rumination and difficulty disengaging from negative thoughts.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
2. Salience circuit
- This circuit helps focus on important emotional stimuli. Disruption here can lead to heightened anxiety and overwhelming sensory experiences, which are common in certain forms of depression.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
3. Positive affect circuit
- Also known as the reward circuit, this brain circuit is crucial for experiencing pleasure and motivation. When it is disrupted, it can lead to emotional numbness and a reduced ability to feel joy or satisfaction.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
4. Negative affect circuit - This circuit processes and responds to negative emotional stimuli. Disruption can cause a person to have exaggerated and prolonged reactions to negative emotions, leading to intense sadness or possibly fear.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
5. Attention circuit
- The attention circuit (also called the frontoparietal network) is responsible for sustaining attention. Disruption to this brain circuit can impair focus and concentration, which are critical for daily functioning.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
6. Cognitive control circuit
- The last brain circuit underpins executive functions like working memory, planning, and controlling thoughts. Its disruption can make decision-making and future planning difficult, which contributes to the cognitive symptoms of depression.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Tailored treatment
- Identifying the specific biotype of a person suffering from depression allows for personalized treatment. For example, a patient with a disrupted cognitive control circuit might benefit more from cognitive therapies rather than certain medications.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Impact of treatment
- The study showed that patients with different biotypes responded differently to treatments. Some biotypes responded well to specific antidepressants, while others benefited more from psychotherapy.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Replication - While the study is certainly promising, experts have emphasized the need to replicate the study across diverse populations and with more varied treatment options so that the study’s conclusions can be confirmed.
© iStock
22 / 30 Fotos
Limitations
- One of the issues involved with the study is that most of the participants were white. This has raised concerns about how accurate the study is when compared amongst more diverse populations. Researchers hope to fill in this gap with future research.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Access to fMRI
- One significant challenge to this type of treatment is the limited and expensive access to fMRI machines, which are mainly available in major medical centers. The findings of the study could hinder widespread application.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Insurance
- Due to the high cost of fMRI scans, insurance companies are unlikely to cover them until more research proves their reliability in predicting effective treatment for depression. This poses yet another barrier to implementing the treatment.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Cardiology
- The goal is to make depression treatment as precise as cardiology, where doctors use biological markers in the brain to guide treatment. This can be groundbreaking and can lead to more predictable and successful outcomes in mental health care.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Reducing misdiagnosis
- By moving away from self-reported symptoms and towards biologically-based diagnostics, the risk of misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment could be significantly reduced and would greatly benefit patients.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Innovation
- Up until very recently, depression and mental health concerns were largely left without appropriate research. This study encourages innovation in mental health treatment, pushing the field towards incorporating more advanced technologies to help people.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
The future
- The Stanford study has outlined the groundwork for future research to explore other depression biotypes, treatment options, and populations, with the ultimate goal of developing a fully personalized approach to mental health care. Sources: (National Geographic) (Stanford Medicine) (WebMD) (CNN)
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Diagnosis
- Nearly one in five people in the US suffer from depression, but many are misdiagnosed, which has often led to ineffective and costly treatments that can be incredibly frustrating and harmful. This is because many mental health care centers currently use a trial-and-error approach to determining health issues.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Treatment
- Many patients with depression struggle for years to find effective treatment, cycling through various medications and therapies, which can be disheartening and delay recovery.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Stanford's new approach
- Researchers at Stanford are working on a revolutionary way to improve depression diagnosis by identifying unique biomarkers for each type of depression. This could enable targeted treatments and potentially transform how depression is treated.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Study methods
- Using machine learning and brain imaging, the Stanford team recently analyzed the brains of hundreds of patients and helped them identify six distinct subtypes of depression, known as "biotypes."
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Current psychiatry limits
- Unlike other medical fields, psychiatry often relies on self-reported symptoms without using biological tests for diagnosis. The Stanford study aims to change that by introducing biologically-based diagnostics.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Future treatment
- Although the study is still years from clinical application, mental health professionals see it as a promising step toward using brain scans to diagnose and treat depression more accurately, akin to how cardiologists use X-rays.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Experts
- Experts not involved in the study have praised the research for moving towards measurable biological markers that could improve depression diagnosis and treatment.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Treatment-resistant depression
- Despite medical interventions, as many as 30% of patients with mental dysfunctions don’t improve. Better diagnostic tools are needed, which is where the Stanford study comes in.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Technology
- The researchers at Stanford have employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain regions and circuits most associated with depression, including the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Brain circuits
- Each depression biotype represents a malfunction in a specific brain circuit, which leads to different symptoms and a different type of depression. Identifying these circuits helps tailor treatment to the individual’s specific brain dysfunction.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Broken connections - Disrupted brain circuits can affect attention, memory, cognitive flexibility, decision-making, and even emotional regulation, all of which contribute to the varied symptoms seen in depression.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Study participants
- The study undertaken by Stanford involved scanning the brains of more than 800 participants diagnosed with depression or anxiety, analyzing their brain activity both at rest and during cognitive and emotional tasks. This dual approach has never been done before.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Six specific patterns
- The study identified six specific patterns of brain dysfunction corresponding to six major brain circuits, each associated with a distinct type of depression. Let’s take a look at what they are.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
1. Default mode circuit
- This brain circuit is active during internal mental processes like introspection. When it is disrupted, it affects these processes, potentially leading to symptoms like rumination and difficulty disengaging from negative thoughts.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
2. Salience circuit
- This circuit helps focus on important emotional stimuli. Disruption here can lead to heightened anxiety and overwhelming sensory experiences, which are common in certain forms of depression.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
3. Positive affect circuit
- Also known as the reward circuit, this brain circuit is crucial for experiencing pleasure and motivation. When it is disrupted, it can lead to emotional numbness and a reduced ability to feel joy or satisfaction.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
4. Negative affect circuit - This circuit processes and responds to negative emotional stimuli. Disruption can cause a person to have exaggerated and prolonged reactions to negative emotions, leading to intense sadness or possibly fear.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
5. Attention circuit
- The attention circuit (also called the frontoparietal network) is responsible for sustaining attention. Disruption to this brain circuit can impair focus and concentration, which are critical for daily functioning.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
6. Cognitive control circuit
- The last brain circuit underpins executive functions like working memory, planning, and controlling thoughts. Its disruption can make decision-making and future planning difficult, which contributes to the cognitive symptoms of depression.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Tailored treatment
- Identifying the specific biotype of a person suffering from depression allows for personalized treatment. For example, a patient with a disrupted cognitive control circuit might benefit more from cognitive therapies rather than certain medications.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Impact of treatment
- The study showed that patients with different biotypes responded differently to treatments. Some biotypes responded well to specific antidepressants, while others benefited more from psychotherapy.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Replication - While the study is certainly promising, experts have emphasized the need to replicate the study across diverse populations and with more varied treatment options so that the study’s conclusions can be confirmed.
© iStock
22 / 30 Fotos
Limitations
- One of the issues involved with the study is that most of the participants were white. This has raised concerns about how accurate the study is when compared amongst more diverse populations. Researchers hope to fill in this gap with future research.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Access to fMRI
- One significant challenge to this type of treatment is the limited and expensive access to fMRI machines, which are mainly available in major medical centers. The findings of the study could hinder widespread application.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Insurance
- Due to the high cost of fMRI scans, insurance companies are unlikely to cover them until more research proves their reliability in predicting effective treatment for depression. This poses yet another barrier to implementing the treatment.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Cardiology
- The goal is to make depression treatment as precise as cardiology, where doctors use biological markers in the brain to guide treatment. This can be groundbreaking and can lead to more predictable and successful outcomes in mental health care.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Reducing misdiagnosis
- By moving away from self-reported symptoms and towards biologically-based diagnostics, the risk of misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment could be significantly reduced and would greatly benefit patients.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Innovation
- Up until very recently, depression and mental health concerns were largely left without appropriate research. This study encourages innovation in mental health treatment, pushing the field towards incorporating more advanced technologies to help people.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
The future
- The Stanford study has outlined the groundwork for future research to explore other depression biotypes, treatment options, and populations, with the ultimate goal of developing a fully personalized approach to mental health care. Sources: (National Geographic) (Stanford Medicine) (WebMD) (CNN)
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
The six types of depression, according to science
New studies are building a better future for mental health
© Shutterstock
The medical field of mental health has always been an enigma. Due to the complex nature of the human brain, it is oftentimes difficult to understand the nuances to how it works, and also what happens when it doesn’t. Depression in particular has plagued people for centuries, but new studies and new technology can finally help scientists understand not only the signs of depression, but also potential avenues to treat the varying types.
One particular study, conducted by Stanford Medicine, has shed some light on the possible forms that depression takes. Curious? Click through this gallery to see what they are.
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