Functional Neuroimaging in Mood Disorders
Summary
Functional neuroimaging has transformed our understanding of major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) by revealing alterations in brain activity and connectivity that underlie emotional dysregulation, cognitive impairment and psychomotor changes. Techniques such as task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and arterial spin labelling (ASL) have delineated condition-dependent differences in prefrontal, parietal and limbic circuits. In MDD, hyperactivity of the default mode network (DMN) is linked to rumination, while hypoconnectivity in the central executive network (CEN) correlates with deficits in executive control. In BD, dysregulation of the fronto-limbic network, particularly between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, underpins the oscillation between manic and depressive episodes. Resting-state studies have further shown that amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity metrics reveal both common and distinct patterns of intrinsic activity in MDD and BD, pointing to shared disruptions in insular and prefrontal regions alongside disorder-specific alterations in motor and sensory areas. These findings have global significance for biomarker development, guiding neuromodulation strategies such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep brain stimulation, and informing precision-tailored interventions aimed at restoring network balance and improving clinical outcomes.
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Functional Neuroimaging in Mood Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in functional neuroimaging in mood disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): non-invasive method measuring blood-oxygen-level dependent signals to infer neural activity.
Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC): assessment of temporal correlations in spontaneous brain activity across regions when no explicit task is performed.
Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF): index of the intensity of spontaneous neuronal oscillations within the 0.01–0.1 Hz frequency band.
Default mode network (DMN): set of brain regions more active during rest, associated with self-referential thinking and rumination.
Central executive network (CEN): circuitry involving dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal cortices, crucial for goal-directed cognition.
Limbic system: collection of structures including the amygdala and hippocampus, central to emotion processing and memory.
Activation likelihood estimation (ALE): statistical technique for coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging data to identify consistent activation patterns.
References
- Prefrontal, parietal, and limbic condition-dependent differences in bipolar disorder: a large-scale meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies. Molecular Psychiatry (2023).
- Common and distinct patterns of intrinsic brain activity alterations in major depression and bipolar disorder: voxel-based meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry (2020).
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