Key Brain Region Could Predict Response to Psychodynamic Therapy for Depression Thursday, November 6, 2014 9:00 In a recent study published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) identified changes in the metabolic activity of a key brain region in patients successfully treated for depression with psychodynamic psychotherapy. They also found evidence that pre-treatment metabolism in a different brain structure might predict which patients are likely to respond to that form of therapy. “Psychodynamic psychotherapy might be considered the original form of ‘personalized medicine,’ since it draws directly from a patient’s unique experiences to shape the course of treatment,” said the lead author of the study. The study enrolled 16 patients diagnosed with major depression for whom previous treatment with medication had not been successful. The PET scans taken before the initiation of therapy revealed that metabolic activity of the right insula — a brain region known to be important for emotional regulation and previously implicated in depression — was higher in participants with more severe depression symptoms. Almost all of those who completed the therapy had more than a 50-percent reduction in depression symptoms, although… Read More…
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 19:14:47 +0000
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