A depressed person's brain does not function normally, but it can recover, according to a study published in the August 11 issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology's scientific journal. Researchers measured the brain's responsiveness using magnetic stimulation over the brain and targeted muscle movement. Furthermore, the responsiveness or excitability returns to more healthy levels in recovered depressed people. This supports the notion that reduced brain excitability in depression is a reversible state.
Depression is a disabling medical illness involving disruptions in brain functions.
Depression affects over 17 million Americans each year and the World Health Organization estimates that by the beginning of the next century, major depression will be one of the most important causes of ill health overall. This muscle movement can be recorded with an electrode over the muscle. A muscle targeted with stimulation will twitch more after exercising it than after rest. TMS used in this form is non-invasive, painless and safe. All depressed and recovered patients were on antidepressant medication, so the differences in response rates were likely not due to drugs, Ebmeier said.