UBC, SFU profs conduct cutting-edge brain study
October 31, 2007
VANCOUVER (CUP) – Professors at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University are conducting a new type of brain-imaging study that could offer an alternative treatment for depression.
Mario Liotta, an SFU psychology professor, and Kalina Chrisoff, a UBC psychology professor, are working together with the help of UBC students to custom-design the new study. The technology allows a person to see the reactions his or her brain has in response to different kinds of introspective thoughts while they are in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner.
Christoff explains, “The fMRI method allows us to see which parts of the brain are active during different emotions and thoughts.”
The study is based on the idea that one can alter thoughts in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The hope is that the technology will help break the cycle of negative thoughts, leading to improved recovery.
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