Summary: Weill Cornell Medicine researchers, using functional MRI, identified that individuals with depression tend to have a larger salience network, potentially increasing their susceptibility to the condition and offering insights into brain structure variations linked to depression.

Key Takeaways

  • Larger Salience Network Linked to Depression: Weill Cornell Medicine researchers found that individuals with depression tend to have a larger salience network, a brain region involved in reward processing and attention, which may increase depression risk.
  • Potential for Early Depression Prediction: The study suggests that variations in the salience network from childhood could help predict susceptibility to depression, offering potential for earlier diagnosis.
  • Implications for Treatment and Broader Research: The findings highlight the need for further research to refine the deep scanning method and explore its application in treating depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have identified a unique pattern of neuronal interactions that may predispose some people to depression, using a “deep scanning” approach with functional MRI. Published in Nature, the study scanned patients’ brains over 18 months, revealing that individuals with depression tend to have a significantly larger salience network—a brain region involved in reward processing, decision-making, and attention.

“Having a larger salience network appears to increase the risk for depression,” says Conor Liston, PhD, senior author and professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. This effect, he notes, is far larger than what is typically observed in standard fMRI studies, indicating a substantial link between brain structure and susceptibility to depression.

The findings suggest that variations in the salience network could predispose individuals to depression from childhood, potentially helping predict susceptibility to the condition over time. Charles Lynch, PhD, lead author, highlights that this network’s link to depression aligns with symptoms like anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure or enjoy everyday activities.

New Paths for Depression Treatments

While further research is needed to replicate the results and refine the deep scanning method, it could offer new insights into how depression develops and potentially guide the development of novel treatments. The team also hopes to expand their research to explore other neuropsychiatric disorders using this approach. 

“For years, many investigators assumed that brain networks look the same in everybody,” Lynch adds, “but our findings challenge that assumption, emphasizing individual variability in brain function and structure.”