MRI scans may be able to detect physical and functional changes in the brain that could be markers for major depression. Two new studies presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) may also point to new pathways for future research and therapy.
Brain scans alone cannot be used to diagnose a mental disorder, such as autism, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. In some cases, a brain scan might be used to rule out other medical illnesses, such as a tumor, that could cause symptoms similar to a mental disorder, such as depression.
MRIs show common structural abnormalities among patients with depression and anxiety. Magnetic resonance images have shown a common pattern of structural abnormalities in the brains of people with major depression disorder (MDD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD), according to a study to be presented at RSNA 2017.
MRIs and related technology are becoming increasingly adept at diagnosing mental illness. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging can play an important role alongside the observations of physicians and other mental health care professionals.
A PET scan can compare brain activity during periods of depression (left) with normal brain activity (right). An increase of blue and green colors, along with decreased white and yellow areas, shows decreased brain activity due to depression.
Brain imaging can reveal unsuspected causes of your anxiety. Anxiety can be caused by many things, such as neurohormonal imbalances, post-traumatic stress syndrome, or head injuries. Brain scans can offer clues to potential root causes of your anxiety, which can help find the most effective treatment plan.
A brain MRI can help doctors look for conditions such as bleeding, swelling, problems with the way the brain developed, tumors, infections, inflammation, damage from an injury or a stroke, or problems with the blood vessels. The MRI also can help doctors look for causes of headaches or seizures.
Imaging scans can tell us a lot about the brain. But, right now, brain scans are not used to diagnose bipolar disorder. To diagnose this condition, a psychologist or other mental health professional may do a physical exam or order lab tests. These can help rule out any other medical condition causing your symptoms.
The brain combines those together to form complex thoughts. Each of the "letters" in the brain's alphabet is handled by a different part of the brain, so by studying brain activity with an MRI machine it's possible to determine what a person is thinking about.
More specifically, a brain or head MRI can show if there are any abnormalities in your brain or the surrounding tissues, including, but not limited to: Inflammation and swelling. Structural issues. Abnormal growths or masses.
A new study suggests, however, that MRI machines do, in fact, manipulate brain activity—and they change the brain in a way that helps treat depression. In other words, MRIs may be unintentional antidepressants.
An MRI will show a detailed image of your brain, spinal cord, nerve tissue, and more. A neurologist would order an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of your brain if they suspect something is wrong, if they are diagnosing an issue, or if they want to monitor the development or treatment of an injury.
While many brain conditions can be serious or life-threatening, it's important to realize that an MRI of the brain isn't something that should be scary. It's a beneficial process that can help your medical team spot potential problems and offer treatment before the issues develop into something more severe.
If you've been in an accident and had a brain injury, an MRI with contrast shows your injury in greater detail than an MRI without it. It also can show brain tumors, help diagnose multiple sclerosis, stroke, dementia, and a brain infection.
Bipolar patients tend to have gray matter reductions in frontal brain regions involved in self-control (orange colors), while sensory and visual regions are normal (gray colors).
Brain scans for psychiatric disorders can identify lesions in the frontal or temporal lobes or the thalamus and hypothalamus of the brain that can occur with psychosis. Brain scans have shown that the volume of various regions in the brain decrease during psychotic episodes.
MRI gives very detailed pictures of soft tissues like the brain. Air and hard bone do not give an MRI signal so these areas appear black.
Metallic fragments such as bullets, shotgun pellets, and metal shrapnel. Cerebral artery aneurysm clips. Magnetic dental implants. Tissue expander.
It's important to understand that you can't use an MRI scan to diagnose migraines or any type of headaches. However, with these scans, your doctor can see if you have any other medical conditions including: A brain tumor. An abscess (an infection in your brain)
Unless you're having an fMRI, any brain scans from traditional MRIs will only show structural elements. So, even if you feel a brief spike of stress in the beginning of your MRI before you start to relax, medical staff won't have access to any insights into your thoughts or feelings.
Grey Matter Abnormalities
People with depression were shown to have thicker grey matter in parts of the brain involved in self-perception and emotions. This abnormality could be contributing to the problems someone with depression has in these areas.
Keep your eyes closed or even wear a blindfold.
It's much easier in an open MRI it's wider than a standard scanner, so patients shouldn't feel any walls touching them.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head is a painless, noninvasive test that produces detailed images of your brain and brain stem. An MRI machine creates the images using a magnetic field and radio waves. This test is also known as a brain MRI or a cranial MRI.
When not properly accommodated during an MRI, claustrophobic patients may experience panic attacks, which can bring on increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, chills, sweating, and other distressing symptoms.