Functional imaging of major depression

This chapter focuses on recent developments in functional neuroimaging that have highlighted functional abnormalities in key neural regions and neural systems underlying different executive control and emotional processes that are impaired in major depressive disorder (MDD). It then turns to findings from studies that employed functional neuroimaging techniques to examine functional neural abnormalities during rest, executive control and emotional challenge in individuals with MDD during depressed episode. The chapter describes new directions in functional neuroimaging of MDD, including functional neuroimaging studies. It also examines the newer neuroimaging analysis techniques that can be employed in the study of MDD, including functional and resting-state connectivity analyses. The chapter presents an integration of the major findings from these studies that have led to the development of neural models of MDD. Finally, it highlights the key neural system functional abnormalities that may represent potential biomarkers of MDD.