How depression treatment changes the brain’s ‘infrastructure’
Brain connectivity begins changing within just six weeks of therapy, a study shows
People receiving inpatient treatment for major depression showed increased brain connectivity after just six weeks, German researchers report.
Using MRI scans, they compared brain connectivity in 109 patients with serious depression to that in a control group of 55 volunteers without depression.
Patients with depression were treated with electroconvulsive therapy, psychological therapy or medication, or a combination of all therapies.
The researchers then rescanned participants’ brains, counting the number of connections. They also retested for depression.
