Advances in the Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder Through the Interpretation of Medical Images: Comprehensive Review Imaging Diagnosis of Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder is characterized by the prolonged presence of a sad mood, lack of pleasure and/or disinterest in activities for extended periods. This pathology has become a challenge for public health due to its impact on the loss of years of working life, its increasing incidence in various ages and its high mortality, which is the fourth cause of death in the 15 to 29 age group. Taking into account the impact of this problem of depression, it has highlighted the urgent need to improve the methods of diagnosis and treatment of this disease, developing new diagnostic methods and approaches, more precise and efficient, which allow earlier detection and adequate treatment for patients. This is where the discipline of psychoradiology acts, which seeks to study and understand brain images obtained through advanced neuroimaging techniques in order to help in the diagnosis and treatment of neurocognitive disorders. seeking to improve the understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying mental disorders and to help personalize medical therapeutic interventions, which results in earlier diagnosis, but also for screening, treatment planning and ongoing clinical follow-up. For this reason, the importance of imaging studies as tools that facilitate both diagnosis and follow-up is increasingly greater, which is essential to improve the quality of life of affected patients and reduce the overall burden of the disease.