Study Suggests , Amygdala Response , Can Predict Depression Treatment Outcomes.br 'PsyPost' reports that a recent study found that people br with major depressive disorder with lower amygdala br activation are less likely to experience improvement. .br 'PsyPost' reports that a recent study found that people br with major depressive disorder with lower amygdala br activation are less likely to experience improvement. .br The findings could help develop personalized treatment br plans for people with depression by identifying patients br who are less likely to respond to standard treatment.br The findings could help develop personalized treatment br plans for people with depression by identifying patients br who are less likely to respond to standard treatment.br The low success rate of initial br treatment underscores the need br for personalized treatment plans. .br Recording functional MRI signal whilst br seeing pictures of facial expressions of br emotions has been used widely to detect br an unconscious bias towards negative br versus positive emotional stimuli br in anxious individuals with br and without depression, Roland Zahn, senior author and a professor br of mood disorders and cognitive neuroscience br at King’s College London, via 'PsyPost'.br According to the results, a person's lower bilateral br amygdala activation in response to seeing sad versus br happy faces predicted poorer clinical outcomes.br After four moths of standard treatment, participants br with a weaker amygdala response to seeing br happy faces were less likely to see improvement.br After four moths of standard treatment, participants br with a weaker amygdala response to seeing br happy faces were less likely to see improvement.br 'PsyPost' reports that the findings suggest that the brain's br ability to process positive emotions may play a critical br role in recovery outcomes for patients with depression.br We confirmed our prediction based br on previous research that people with br a weaker amygdala response to positive br relative to negative facial expressions br were less likely to improve their br depressive symptoms after four months, Roland Zahn, senior author and a professor br of mood disorders and cognitive neuroscience br at King’s College London, via 'PsyPost'.br The team behind the study suggests br treatments be developed that enhance thebr brain's natural response to positive stimuli. .br The findings were detailed in a study published in the journal 'Psychological Medicine.