[Regional cerebral blood flow in depression]

In the review article, the results of studies on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in major depression are presented. Most studies have reported global and regional deficits in cerebral blood flow in major depression as compared to healthy controls. Longitudinal studies show that after recovery from depression an increase of CBF has been observed. The influence of different biological treatment methods on rCBF is also discussed. Findings regarding lateral asymmetries of cerebral function in patients with major depression are inconclusive but the deficit of rCBF is often more pronounced in the left hemisphere. The nature of regional brain flow abnormalities in depression is unclear. Structural changes of the brain and biochemical abnormalities are under consideration.