Brain PET Scans: Depressed vs Non-Depressed Metabolic Activity Comparison #1440383 (License: Personal Use)

The left image shows a PET scan of a depressed individual, with prominent blue and green areas indicating reduced glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and insula-regions linked to mood regulation. The right image displays a non-depressed brain with higher metabolic activity (yellow and red), especially in those same regions, suggesting normal emotional processing. These scans illustrate how neuroimaging helps identify biological correlates of major depressive disorder.

Used in medical education, psychiatric research articles, and mental health awareness pages to visually demonstrate neurobiological differences in depression; targets clinicians, students, and informed patients seeking evidence-based understanding of depression.