Researchers are testing brain-based tools that may help doctors select treatments sooner.
Researchers are exploring new ways to improve depression and anxiety treatment by using technology to study how the brain works. The work could help doctors spot signs of mental health problems earlier, choose treatments that better fit each patient, and learn sooner whether a treatment is having the desired effect. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than one billion people worldwide live with mental health disorders, with anxiety and depression among the most common conditions, and finding the right treatment can take both time and some trial and error.
Sandra Klonteig, a research scientist at Norway’s SINTEF research organization, believes brain measurements could one day give doctors useful information much earlier in that process. Her research focuses on neurotechnology, a field that uses tools to measure, study, and sometimes change activity in the brain. The technology is being studied for many purposes, including brain injuries, diseases that affect memory, and mental health conditions as a possible depression and anxiety treatment.
One possible future use would allow doctors to check whether a treatment is affecting the brain before a patient notices a change in how they feel. For example, a person receiving treatment for depression might still feel anxious or sad after a few weeks. Brain tests could potentially show signs that the treatment is beginning to work, even if the person has not yet experienced relief. The tests could also show when a treatment is not producing the expected response. In that case, a doctor might consider another option rather than asking the patient to continue a treatment that appears unlikely to help.
Another area of research involves examining how different parts of the brain communicate. These networks support thinking, memory, and emotional responses. Changes in the way these areas work together may provide information about mental health conditions.
Researchers are also exploring ways to study the brain without surgery. Devices worn on the head can measure brain activity without requiring equipment to be placed inside the body. This could make some methods more practical for future medical use.
Electroencephalography (EEG) measures electrical signals produced by the brain. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) creates images that help researchers map activity by tracking changes in blood flow. A related method called functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS, uses light to measure changes in blood flow near the surface of the brain.
Other work takes place in laboratories. Researchers can grow nerve cells from stem cells and study how they behave under different conditions. Small devices known as brain-on-chip systems can hold nerve cells or small pieces of brain tissue, allowing scientists to examine how cells respond to possible treatments.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also being studied as a way to examine brain scans and identify patterns that may be difficult for people to spot on their own. Researchers are testing different ways to combine these findings with behavior tests and other mental health assessments. Despite the innovativeness of this approrach, however, the technology is still being studied, and it cannot yet provide a simple answer for every patient. Mental health conditions are complex, and brain measurements would need to be tested carefully before becoming part of routine care.
Klonteig believes continued research could eventually help doctors identify problems sooner and make treatment choices with greater confidence. If these methods prove to be reliable, patients may spend less time waiting to learn whether a treatment is working and have a better chance of receiving care suited to their needs.
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Neurotechnology offers hope for better anxiety and depression treatments
Neurotechnology could help doctors diagnose mental disorders earlier and personalize treatment
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