Functional brain asymmetry as a determinative factor in the treatment of depression: Theoretical implications

Depression is characterized by the functional insufficiency of both left and right hemispheres. Patients who respond to antidepressants are characterized by a relatively higher left hemisphere activity in comparison to non-responders, and successful treatment with antidepressants increases left hemi...

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Published inProgress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry Vol. 32; no. 8; pp. 1772 - 1777
Main Author Rotenberg, V.S.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 12.12.2008
Elsevier
Subjects
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Animals
Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology
Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - drug effects
Brain - pathology
Brain - physiopathology
Brain asymmetry
Depression
Depression - drug therapy
Depression - pathology
Depression - physiopathology
Functional Laterality - drug effects
Functional Laterality - physiology
Humans
Medical sciences
Mood disorders
Neuropharmacology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Treatment
SSRI
Brain asymmetry
Treatment
EEG
Rh
NE
Depression
TMS
LH
5-HT
DA
Mood disorder
Asymmetry
Theory
Central nervous system
Encephalon
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Summary:Depression is characterized by the functional insufficiency of both left and right hemispheres. Patients who respond to antidepressants are characterized by a relatively higher left hemisphere activity in comparison to non-responders, and successful treatment with antidepressants increases left hemisphere activity. Left hemisphere is responsible for the goal-oriented behavior that includes search activity as a state opposite to depression, which accounts for the positive outcome in depression following activation of the left hemisphere. However, it is not a pathogenetic but a palliative treatment, because the core reason for depression is the inability of the right hemisphere to correspond to the demands of the polydimensional environment. The article suggests that in order to achieve stability, treatment has to combine methods that restore left hemisphere activity with methods that restore right hemisphere efficiency.
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ISSN:0278-5846
1878-4216
DOI:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.08.011