KAIST researchers find brain activity differs by depression levels during movement

A research team led by Professor Young-Kyun Park at KAIST has discovered that brain responses to physical gestures vary significantly depending on an individual's level of depressive symptoms. Using wireless functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which allows for brain activity measurement during actual movement, the study observed 52 adults aged 20 to 35.

The researchers compared groups with minimal depressive symptoms against those with high depressive symptoms. When performing negative emotional gestures—such as hugging knees, sighing deeply, or drooping shoulders—the group with low depressive symptoms showed increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex. Conversely, the high-symptom group showed decreased activity in the same region.

No common brain activation patterns were observed during positive emotional gestures. The findings, published in the Brain Research Bulletin, suggest that the brain processes movement and emotional information differently based on mental health status. The team expects this data to serve as a foundation for personalized mental health management and real-time neurofeedback technologies using wearable devices.