Neuroimaging Advance in Depressive Disorder

Neuroimaging shed light on the understanding of psychopathological mechanisms underlying major depressive disorder, despite its inconsistent findings. Noninvasive neuroimaging studies have indicated that various behavioral deficits in major depressive disorder are implicated with structural and functional abnormalities in specific brain regions. Moreover, disrupted brain morphological and functional properties may map out the underlying pathways from genetic and environmental factors to the prognosis of depression. Molecular neuroimaging studies have also provided novel method to probe transmitters and metabolites in brain regions rather than simply measuring brain morphological changes. Recent advanced neuroimaging approaches (e.g., pattern recognition) provides great opportunity to probe neuroimaging biomarkers that may contributes to improving diagnostic accuracy and predicting treatment outcomes. In this chapter, we conclude neuroimaging studies in the research field of depression from psychopathological, molecular, genetic/environmental, diagnostic, and therapeutic perspectives.