Fig. 3: The role of reverse inference in psychiatry.
From: The rise and fall of MRI studies in major depressive disorder
A physician can diagnose a patient with an arm fracture based on clinical symptoms and may deduce the presentation on an X-ray. In return, the radiologist can confirm the diagnosis by X-ray. The psychiatrist can diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD) based on clinical symptoms and patients surveys. However, the psychiatrist is unable to deduce the clinical presentation on MRI scans. In addition, the radiologist is unable to diagnose a patient with MDD based on MRI findings.
