Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive disorders result from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, each contributing uniquely to the development and persistence of the condition. Understanding these factors provides critical insight into the multifaceted nature of depression.
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

Depression: Overview

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, diminished pleasure in life, and a significant impact on daily functioning. These conditions are most prevalent in individuals during their 30s and affect women at twice the rate of men. Contrary to popular belief, younger individuals are generally more susceptible to these disorders than older adults. Two key types of depressive disorders include Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Geometric constraints on the architecture of mammalian cortical connectomes.

Cell·2026

Same author

Wellbeing, nature connection and vaccine attitudes: A convergent mixed methods study in Wim Hof Method practitioners.

PLOS mental health·2026

Same author

Pathways, predictors and paradoxes of illbeing and wellbeing in older adults: Insights from a UK Biobank study.

PLOS mental health·2026

Same author

Promoting holistic wellbeing during the polycrisis: An essay on inner development through the martial art of Wing Chun.

PLOS mental health·2026

Same author

Breathwork and holistic wellbeing: A protocol for a scoping review.

PloS one·2025

Same author

Geometric constraints on the architecture of mammalian cortical connectomes.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

Published on: August 11, 2015

Thalamocortical changes in major depression probed by deconvolution and physiology-based modeling.

Cliff C Kerr¹, Andrew H Kemp, Christopher J Rennie

¹School of Physics, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ckerr@physics.usyd.edu.au

|November 16, 2010

Summary

Depression alters brain activity during attention tasks. New methods reveal shifts toward inhibition and reduced responses in depressed individuals, suggesting distinct physiological mechanisms for depression subtypes.

More Related Videos

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Published on: January 19, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

Published on: August 11, 2015

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Published on: January 19, 2024

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychiatry
Computational Biology

Background:

Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) are widely studied in depression.
Previous research primarily used phenomenological analysis, limiting physiological insights.
Attentional processing deficits are common in major depressive disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate physiological differences in attentional processing between depressed individuals and controls.
To apply novel physiology-based methods to ERP data.
To explore potential neurobiological underpinnings of depression subtypes.

Main Methods:

Utilized a thalamocortical model of neuronal activity for fitting ERP data.
Employed waveform deconvolution techniques for ERP analysis.
Analyzed data from four groups: melancholic depression, non-melancholic depression, subclinical depressed mood, and healthy controls.

Main Results:

Individuals with depressed mood, irrespective of clinical diagnosis, showed a shift from thalamocortical excitation to inhibition.
Clinically depressed participants exhibited decreased relative response amplitude between target and standard waveforms.
Patients with melancholic depression displayed increased thalamocortical delays.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest distinct physiological mechanisms underlying attentional processing in depression subtypes.
The identified physiological alterations may contribute to the pathophysiology of depression.
These physiology-based methods could inform the development of novel diagnostic tools for depression.