"Closing The Loop For Brain Imaging In Depression" - David Mehler
Depression can have a profound impact on affected individuals and those around them. It is one of the most common mental health conditions, and its symptoms include sustained feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and guilt. In severe cases, these symptoms may be aggravated by suicidal thoughts, or even attempts. Helen Mayberg, MD, senior faculty of neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and director of the center for advanced circuit therapeutics for the Mount Sinai Health System said, “Our lab takes a circuit approach to the study of major depression: Studies integrate multimodal neuroimaging strategies and quantitative behavioral and psychophysiological metrics within experimental clinical trial protocols to define brain mechanisms that mediated anti–depressant treatments.” The challenge for the ‘field’ will be to define what methods are ‘good enough’ to warrant meaningful replication studies of an encouraging finding.
- Helen Mayberg, MD, Senior Faculty, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, The Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Mount Sinai Health System