New research provides the earliest evidence yet of changes in brain function in young children with depression. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers find a key brain structure that regulates emotions structure. Additionally, this structure works differently in preschoolers with depression in comparison to their healthy peers. Investigators say the findings could lead to ways to identify and treat children with depression earlier in the course of the illness. This can potentially prevent problems later in life.
“The findings really hammer home.
These kids are suffering from a very real disorder that requires treatment.” “We believe this study demonstrates that there are differences in the brains of these very young children. They may mark the beginnings of a lifelong problem.”
Researchers discovered depressed preschoolers had elevated activity in the amygdala. This is an almond-shaped set of neurons important in processing emotions. Earlier imaging studies identified similar changes in the amygdala region in adults, adolescents and older children with depression. However, none had looked at preschoolers with depression. For the new study, scientists studied 54 children ages 4 to 6.
Prior to the study, 23 of those kids had a diagnosis of depression. The other 31 did not. None of the children in the study take antidepressant medication. Although studies using fMRI to measure brain activity are common, this is the first time that such scans are using children this young with depression.
Movements as small as a few millimeters can ruin fMRI data. Gaffrey and his colleagues had the children participate in mock scans first. After practicing, the children in this study moved less than a millimeter on average during their actual scans. While they were in the fMRI scanner, the children looked at pictures of people whose facial expressions conveyed emotions. There were faces with happy, sad, fearful and neutral expressions. READ MORE