Study Finds Brain-Based Markers Could Help Personalize Depression Treatment

Finding the right antidepressant treatment can be a frustrating, time-consuming process — one that often requires individuals to endure weeks of ineffective medication before trying something new. Now, a new study offers hope for a more personalized approach.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study reveals promising progress toward predicting how patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) will respond to antidepressant medications using brain imaging and clinical data. The research demonstrated that brain connectivity patterns — specifically in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex — could significantly improve predictions of treatment response across two large, independent clinical trials.

“In spite of the availability of several antidepressant treatments, including medications and psychotherapy, many individuals with depression have difficulties finding the treatment that works best for them,” said Diego Pizzagalli, PhD, director of the Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries at UC Irvine and Distinguished Professor at the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences and the School of Medicine. “As a result, for many, treatment follows a trial-and-error approach. Discovering brain-based markers predicting positive antidepressant response promises to allow a more personalized treatment and thereby speed up reduction of symptoms.”

Read the full story from the UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences.