Brain Anomalies Found in Moms With Postpartum Depression

In a small study that involved MRI brain scans, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center revealed that women with postpartum depression have reduced activity in parts of the brain that control emotional responses and recognize emotional cues in others.  While most postpartum depression dissipates after two weeks, some can last months.  For those patients with ongoing postpartum depression, it was found that the emotional area of their cortex responded in an opposite way than that of patients without this infliction.  This gives hope to a possible cure for postpartum depression.