Progress in functional magnetic resonance imaging-based studies on predicting the efficacy of antidepressants for treating depressive disorders

Patients with depressive disorders exhibit significant individual differences in response to antidepressant treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for objective and reliable biomarkers that can predict treatment efficacy. Current research indicates that the response to antidepressant therapy is closely related to brain functional activity and abnormalities in brain networks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging provides important evidence supporting this notion: abnormalities in brain networks, particularly those centered around the default mode network, are closely associated with therapeutic effectiveness. In particular, functional connections within the default mode network, as well as its interactions with frontal and parietal networks and the limbic system, play a key role in determining individual responses to treatment. Abnormalities in prefrontal-limbic system function also suggest that mechanisms related to emotional regulation and cognitive control contribute to differences in treatment outcomes among individuals.