Forscher haben herausgefunden, wie man eine schwere Form der Depression, die sogenannte „Melancholie“, anhand der Gesichtsausdrücke und der Gehirnaktivität diagnostizieren kann. Menschen, die von Melancholie betroffen sind, können ihren Körper nicht bewegen, können nicht schnell denken und empfinden tiefe, langanhaltende Traurigkeit, die ihre Stimmung einschränkt
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02699-y
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Melancholia is an intense form of depression with many physical symptoms. People affected by melancholia cannot move their bodies or think quickly, and experience deep, long-lasting sadness that restricts their mood, energy and ability to enjoy life. They are less likely to respond to psychological treatments and often need very high doses of medication or brain stimulation, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation or electroconvulsive therapy. Despite these challenges, complete recovery from melancholia is possible with the correct treatment.
QIMR Berghofer lead researcher Dr Philip Mosley says an accurate and early diagnosis of melancholic depression is vital.
“The research will allow GPs and other clinicians to diagnose people with melancholic depression more quickly and accurately, having them well again and feeling connected to their loved ones sooner,” Dr Mosley said.
During the study, Dr Philip Mosley and his team used AI to analyse the facial expressions of 70 clinical trial participants with depression as they watched a funny movie. Participants then watched an emotional short film as their brain activity was measured in an MRI scanner.
Participants were selected from a unique genetic database of people with depression established at QIMR Berghofer by Professor Nick Martin.
The findings showed clear differences between people with melancholia, and people with non-melancholic depression.
“People with melancholia looked flat, and didn’t smile during a funny video. This visible difference was confirmed mathematically when we did a comprehensive analysis of the movements of facial muscles involved in smiling,” Dr Mosley said.
“Furthermore, their brains responded differently during uplifting scenes in an emotional movie. In psychiatry, the difficulty in expressing and responding to positive emotions may be called ‘flattening’ or ‘blunting.’ Here, it was as if the brain regions that we know are involved in registering and processing positive emotions were also flattened and blunted.”
[https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/qimr-berghofer-depression-discovery-brings-fresh-hope-for-melancholia](https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/qimr-berghofer-depression-discovery-brings-fresh-hope-for-melancholia)
> People affected by melancholia .. experience deep, long-lasting sadness that restricts their mood.
Anecdotally, I used to suffer from something which, though never diagnosed, seems very close to what is being described here. But the point is, the “deep long-lasting sadness” was, for me, a positive thing. I felt very much more ‘alive’ at those times than I did during the more mundane times in my life.
I always thought that this was an old-timey blanket diagnosis that was applied to anyone that was a little sad or much worse. Didn’t know that it was in actual use anymore.
I am no scientist, but I don’t like this study right out of the procedural gate. They screened specifically for people with melancholia by asking them if they have slow mental or physical reactions, which seems extremely circular relative to the conclusion. You know “after screening for people based on their answer of yes to having slowed physical and mental states, a leading indicator or melancholia depression, researchers found melancholia depression can be diagnosed by markers of slower physical and mental activity in people with the disorder” is how my brain interpreted what they said they did. My second concern is that they used known patients, told us the melancholia depressed person are often put on high levels of medications early, but they did not screen against using subjects based on medication use, medication type, or doses. We do not know, therefore,me how much of the effect is caused by the meds.