Review: The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in clinical trials and experimental research studies for depression
Vasileia Kotoula, Jennifer W. Evans, Claire Punturieri, Carlos A. Zarate
Frontiers in Neuroimaging June 27, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fnimg.2023.1110258 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression |
| Keywords | Antidepressant Depression economics Neuroimaging Clinical trial Amygdala Electroencephalography Hippocampus |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key findings | Normalization of amygdala hyperactivity in response to negative emotional stimuli underlies successful treatment response to both SSRIs and ketamine, indicating a potential common pathway for conventional and fast-acting antidepressants. |
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive technique that can be used to examine neural responses with and without the use of a functional task. Indeed, fMRI has been used in clinical trials and pharmacological research studies. In mental health, it has been used to identify brain areas linked to specific symptoms but also has the potential to help identify possible treatment targets. Despite fMRI's many advantages, such findings are rarely the primary outcome measure in clinical trials or research studies. This article reviews fMRI studies in depression that sought to assess the efficacy and mechanism of action of compounds with antidepressant effects. Our search results focused on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most commonly prescribed treatments for depression and ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant treatment. Normalization of amygdala hyperactivity in response to negative emotional stimuli was found to underlie successful treatment response to SSRIs as well as ketamine, indicating a potential common pathway for both conventional and fast-acting antidepressants. Ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects make it a particularly useful compound for studying depression with fMRI; its effects on brain activity and connectivity trended toward normalizing the increases and decreases in brain activity and connectivity associated with depression. These findings highlight the considerable promise of fMRI as a tool for identifying treatment targets in depression. However, additional studies with improved methodology and study design are needed before fMRI findings can be translated into meaningful clinical trial outcomes.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synaptic Dysfunction in Depression: Potential Therapeutic Targets | 2012 | Review | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse | 2003 | Review | |
| Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Nature Medicine April 11, 2022
- The effect of intravenous, intranasal, and oral ketamine in mood disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders November 1, 2020
- Regulation of neural responses to emotion perception by ketamine in individuals with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder Translational Psychiatry February 17, 2015
- Ketamine modulates fronto-striatal circuitry in depressed and healthy individuals Molecular Psychiatry September 14, 2020
- Modulation of amygdala reactivity following rapidly acting interventions for major depression. Human Brain Mapping May 1, 2020
and 8 more in the library