Depression May Affect Two Key Brain Regions, But Change Is Not Inevitable

Recovery News | Mental Health & Addiction Recovery · Sep 30, 2026 · 2m

For years, neuroimaging studies evaluating major depressive disorder have observed structural alterations in key brain structures—most notably the hippocampus, which governs memory and emotional context, and the amygdala, which processes threat detection and stress responses. Chronic exposure to elevated stress hormones like cortisol can lead to reduced synaptic density and volume loss in these regions, leading many to worry that severe depression causes permanent structural harm. However, according to an illuminating neuroscience feature published by ScienceAlert, breakthrough neuroimaging…