Brain Connectivity and Inflammatory Markers During Short-Term Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Some adults continue to experience depression despite treatment with antidepressant medicines. This study aimed to explore relationships between depression symptoms, brain function, and blood markers of inflammation, and changes in these measures during a course of psychotherapy. Adults with treatment-resistant depression were assigned to receive 10 weekly sessions of individual short-term dynamic psychotherapy, a form of talking therapy, alongside their ongoing medication. Healthy adults served as a reference group and received no study treatment. Assessments were planned at the start of participation and at a 10-week follow-up. These included depression ratings, quality-of-life questionnaires, blood tests, and measurements of brain activity. The study aimed to compare initial measurements between participants with depression and healthy adults and to explore changes over time within each group.