Understanding Brain Function and Mental Health Links

Brain Targets 🧠 Default Mode Network (DMN) A 2020 meta-analysis found DMN overactivity in over 80% of patients with treatment-resistant depression. 🔍 DMN hyperconnectivity is one of the most consistent neuroimaging findings in major depressive disorder. 🌀 In PTSD, the DMN gets locked in “internal replay”, reinforcing traumatic memories and looping emotional responses. The Default Mode Network isn’t one structure...it’s a system. It activates when we rest, reflect, remember, and imagine. 📍 Core hubs include the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and angular gyrus. 🧭 It’s most active during: - Self-referential thinking - Autobiographical memory - Future projection - Social cognition ⚠️ But when the DMN is overactive, the mind gets stuck. It ruminates, loops, and fixates on internal narratives — especially negative ones. 💡 Why it matters for neuromodulation: You can’t directly stimulate the DMN, but you can reach its nodes. TMS to the DLPFC, PCC, or vmPFC helps regulate the network indirectly. That’s why DMN modulation shows promise in treating: 😔 Depression (especially with rumination) 🌀 Anxiety and PTSD (replay, future threat projection) 🧠 OCD (excessive self-monitoring) 🌫️ Cognitive rigidity and brain fog The DMN is where we process who we are and where we’ve been. But when misfiring, it can become a trap, where the self-loops endlessly, and healing stalls. When balanced, it helps us reflect. When dysregulated, it holds us hostage to the past. 🚨 Brain Targets is a series exploring how specific brain regions shape behavior, and why we stimulate them to heal the mind. Which region should I break down next? ________________ For more on neuroscience, mental health, and the science behind brain stimulation, check out my previous posts ✨ I share what I’m learning along the way — follow along and let’s explore the brain together 🧠 Nicolas Hubacz, M.S. #DefaultModeNetwork #TMS #BrainTargets #Psychiatry

An empathic 🧠 may predispose to #depression. Empathy as one of the basic prerequisites for successful social interactions seems to be aberrant in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Although understanding empathic impairments in MDD is crucial considering the frequently reported social skill deficits in patients, the current state of research is still inconclusive, pointing to both elevated and impaired levels of empathy. New research suggests that, there is a potential link between an empathic brain and an increased risk of depression. Ex: highly empathic individuals may be more susceptible to experiencing heightened emotional distress and potentially developing depressive symptoms. This is likely due to the way empathic brains process emotions, particularly negative ones, and potentially feeling a greater sense of responsibility for others' suffering. Here is some more information: •Heightened emotional sensitivity: Individuals with high empathy may experience emotions more intensely, including negative emotions like sadness or distress, which can be a risk factor for depression. •Empathic distress: Research indicates that highly empathic individuals may be more prone to experiencing empathic distress, which is the feeling of personal discomfort when witnessing another person's suffering. •Potential for rumination: The tendency to dwell on negative emotions and situations, known as rumination, is also linked to depression, and highly empathic individuals may be more prone to rumination, especially when faced with others' pain. •Cognitive empathy and depression: While emotional empathy is linked to higher risk of depression, cognitive empathy (the ability to understand another person's perspective) might be negatively impacted in depression, suggesting a complex interplay between different aspects of empathy and mental health. Overall, this research does shed light on the complex relationship between MDD and neural correlates of affective empathy. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gdK38ERG One love #brain #empathy

🧠 As a nutritional psychiatrist, I often talk about how what we eat impacts brain function — but this new research takes it one step further. A new study found that many psychiatric diagnoses — from depression and anxiety to ADHD, OCD, and schizophrenia — are linked to a shared brain network, not just isolated areas. Over 80% of brain regions tied to one disorder were also connected to others. This tells us something powerful: mental health isn’t always about separate “labels” — it’s often about overlapping circuits and shared root causes. In my work, I see how food, lifestyle, and targeted care can support this brain-body connection. And now, science is confirming what we’ve long sensed — that healing the brain requires a whole-person approach. Read the full study linked here: https://lnkd.in/esSC8yHH #NutritionalPsychiatry #MentalHealthAwareness #BrainHealth #Depression #Anxiety #OCD #ADHD #Schizophrenia #Psychiatry #FoodAsMedicine #DrUmaNaidoo #Transdiagnostic #GutBrainConnection