Treatment of Chronic Depression
Andrew A. Nierenberg, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Nierenberg presented a model of thought patterns often seen in chronically depressed patients, to help them end the cycle of negative rumination and increase cognitive flexibility. He described rumination as a deficit in switching from internal to external stimuli and a failure of stopping and forgetting negative experiences and feelings. In this model, cognitive rigidity and inability to switch cognitive networks is the basis of depressive thoughts.
