Antidepressants and Therapies Affect the Brain in Different Ways
If you are depressed, you (or your doctor) may consider therapy and antidepressants as alternative treatments for the same problem. But new research supports the idea that they each work differently in the brain.
The analysis, published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior , looked at brain function studies using drugs (mainly Prozac and other SSRIs ) and talking therapy, mainly cognitive behavioral therapy . Here’s how Science of Us sums it up:
Medication is usually associated with increased brain activity in the limbic system and other subcortical structures, including the islet. These areas are widely associated with emotional processing, and the islet, in particular, is involved in representing our internal bodily states. [Cognitive Psychologist Maddalena] Boccia and her colleagues characterized these therapeutic effects as “bottom-up” …
In contrast, psychotherapy appears to have led to changes in activation patterns in parts of the frontal cortex and temporal cortex – areas of the brain known to be associated with thoughts of self and storage and processing of memories. Researchers have characterized these effects as “top-down” related to how we interpret the world and our place in it, which makes sense given that CBT’s primary goal is to change unhelpful thinking habits.
If two treatments work differently, it could mean they complement each other when used together, so the answer to the question that is best might be, “Why not both?”
How Treatment Affects the Brain: A Meta-Analysis of Neural Substrates Underlying Drug Therapy and Psychotherapy for Major Depression | Brain Imaging and Behavior with Science of Us
Photo by Neil Conway .
Vitals is a new blog from Lifehacker dedicated to health and fitness. Follow us on Twitter here .