Effects of Antidepressants on the Brain
PET Scan Image

Composite PET (positron emission tomography) scan data, superimposed on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans, show brain areas that increased (red) or decreased (yellow) in activity in men who responded to placebo (top row) and fluoxetine (bottom row). Both groups shared a pattern of increased activity in the cortex (e.g., prefrontal, posterior cingulate) and decreased activity in limbic regions (e.g., subgenual cingulate), which the researchers suggest is necessary for therapeutic response. Men who responded to the active medication, in addition, experienced decreased activity in certain lower brain areas (e.g., hippocampus, anterior insula) thought to sustain the cortical/limbic changes and prevent relapse.

Story: Placebo, Antidepressant May Lift Depression Via Common Mechanism

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general depression | suicide and depression
co-occurrence of depression | in adolescents | in women
in older adults | psychiatric medications | bipolar disorder