While methods that can reverse and cure depression evolve every year, the newest research published on PNAS claims that strong magnetic impulses can also help.
This method still needs more testing, but it seems to be pretty promising for people with abnormal brain signals leading to that illness.
Let's find out more.
An unusual method of reversing depression
A recent study led by Stanford Medicine scientists has shed light on how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a treatment for severe depression, works by reversing abnormal brain signals.
The researchers discovered that TMS can change the flow of neural activity in the brain, specifically between the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex.
In individuals with depression, this flow of activity is often reversed, causing a distorted perception of emotions.
However, when depressed patients received TMS treatment, the flow of neural activity normalized, coinciding with an improvement in their depression symptoms.
This method can also help diagnose the illness
The study also suggests that this abnormal flow of signals could serve as a biomarker for diagnosing depression and triaging treatment options.
By identifying this biomarker, clinicians can better predict which patients are more likely to respond well to TMS therapy.
The researchers plan to replicate the study in a larger patient population and encourage the use of their analytic technique to uncover further insights from fMRI data.
