The brain develops differently in adolescents who experience depression, according to a new study.
An MRI scanner was used to examine 86 adolescents with no history of depressive disorders. Participants were scanned at twelve years old and then again at sixteen.
The study found the pattern of development in several key brain regions differed between depressed and non-depressed adolescents.
The brain regions involved include areas associated with the experience and regulation of emotion, as well as areas associated with learning and memory.
Lead researcher Professor Nick Allen said the findings suggest the importance of targeting depression in the early years of adolescence.
Read more at The University of Melbourne