Subgenual prefrontal cortex abnormalities in mood disorders in Nature 386, No. 6627, April 24, 1997, pp. 824-827

First edition. Original paper wraps. LANDMARK PAPER IN PSYCHIATRIC NEUROSCIENCE WHOSE FINDINGS HAVE HELD UP FOR THREE DECADES. The Drevets et al. paper is seminal because it was the first study to demonstrate that depression physically shrinks and under-activates a specific, identifiable brain region - giving mood disorders a concrete biological basis rather than treating them as purely psychological or abstract, and paving the way for treatments that target that exact region. Drevet et al. were able to measure brain abnormality. Before this study, depression was thought to result mainly from chemical imbalances (such as serotonin). As well, most prior depression imaging showed either activity differences or structural differences - rarely both pointing to the same spot. Drevets and colleagues used PET and MRI scans to show that people with major depression and bipolar disorder had abnormalities in a small brain region called the subgenual prefrontal cortex (also known as Area 25). Drevets et al. found reduced brain activity and shrunken gray matter volume in that same region and altered blood flow/metabolism, identifying Area 25 as a key hub in mood regulation. Because the region wasn't random - it was already known to govern emotional regulation, autonomic response, and neurotransmitter circuits that antidepressants act on -- the finding gave a plausible anatomical "site" for depression's biology, not just a correlation. The authors' work inspired decades of research into the brain networks underlying depression, revealing similar abnormalities in both major depressive disorder and bipolar depression. CONDITION & DETAILS: London: Macmillan & Co. Nature, Volume 386, No. 6627. Original Wraps. (10 x 7 inches; 250 x 175mm). Original paper wraps. Bearing the mail sticker of "Robert R. Rofen," the American ichthyologist. Very slight wear around the edges of the front wrap. Bright and clean inside and out. Near fine condition. …