A new study has linked changes in the eye – specifically the retina – to depression, suggesting visual health may be intricately tied to mental health.
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry have demonstrated that the pupillary reaction in participants with depression was less pronounced when anticipating a reward than in healthy participants.
This reduced pupil reaction was particularly noticeable in patients who reported a loss of pleasure and energy, two classic symptoms of depression.
The study also found a correlation between the severity of depressive symptoms and the weakness of the pupil response.
The study authors suggest pupillometry could serve as a supplementary diagnostic tool for depression, providing “valuable information for treatment allocation and examining the early treatment response”.
The study was published in Scientific Reports. 1
Reference
- Brendler, A., Schneider, M., Elbau, I.G., et al., Assessing hypo-arousal during reward anticipation with pupillometry in patients with major depressive disorder: replication and correlations with anhedonia. Sci Rep 14, 344 (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023- 48792-0.
