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Updated: Sep 19, 2025
Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method
Published on: August 2, 2021
Network Localization of Functional Brain Changes Associated With Ketamine's Therapeutic Effects in Depression.
Shaoqiang Han1, Ya Tian1, Huiting Yang1
1Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Brain Function Development and Application, Zhengzhou, China.
This study reveals a specific brain network linked to ketamine
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects are not fully understood due to inconsistent findings.
- Identifying the precise neural mechanisms of ketamine is crucial for depression treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate a specific brain circuit underlying ketamine's antidepressant efficacy.
- To integrate multimodal neuroimaging findings into a functional brain network.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 18 neuroimaging studies involving 440 individuals with depression.
- Functional connectivity network mapping and analysis using a large-scale normative connectome database.
- Validation of network robustness, stability, and specificity for depression.
Main Results:
- A ketamine-specific functional brain network was identified, involving default mode, ventral attention, and frontoparietal networks.
- This network, robust and depression-specific, includes the subgenual cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
- The identified circuit aligns with optimal brain stimulation sites for depression.
Conclusions:
- Reconciles inconsistent neuroimaging findings on ketamine's effects.
- Provides network-level insights into the neuropathology of ketamine's therapeutic action.
- Offers a refined understanding of ketamine's mechanism of action in depression.
