Cortical activation patterns in generalized anxiety and major depressive disorders measured by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are highly prevalent mental disorders in psychiatry, but their overlapping symptoms often complicate precise diagnoses. This study aims to explore differential brain activation patterns in healthy controls (HC), MDD, and GAD groups through functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the verbal fluency task (VFT) to enhance the accuracy of clinical diagnoses.

Methods: This study recruited 30 patients with MDD, 45 patients with GAD, and 34 demographically matched HCs.