Neuroscience tools for depression treatment are focus of UofL lecture

Depression as a brain disease and neuroscience tools that can be used for treatment are the focus of the “Building Hope” public lecture on Thursday, Nov. 30.

Scott A. Langenecker, Ph.D., associate professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology and Director of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will present “Unlocking the Depressed Brain: Neuroscience Brings New Tools for Wellness.” The event is part of the “Building Hope” lecture series sponsored by the University of Louisville Depression Center and will be held at 6 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, 3701 Old Brownsboro Road.

Langenecker’s talk will focus on why depression is a brain disease, explain the role of childhood adversity in risk and resilience for depression and strategies for using neuroscience tools to aid in patient-centered treatment.

Langenecker's research and clinical work focuses on the translational cognitive neuroscience of mood disorders across the lifespan. He aims to understand the cognitive and affective abnormalities observed in depression and bipolar disorder, neurological underpinnings of the abnormalities and ramifications for treatment selection and prognosis. His current work focuses on the late adolescent translational period in which risk for mood disorders is at a peak.

The UofL Depression Center is Kentuckiana’s leading resource for depression and bipolar disorder treatment, research and education. It is a charter member of the National Network of Depression Centers, a consortium of leading depression centers that develops and fosters connections among members to advance scientific discovery and provide stigma-free, evidence-based care to patients with depressive and bipolar illnesses.

For more information, call the Depression Center at 502-588-4886.