The Holy Grail of Psychiatry

“Holy Grail” is a well-known metaphor for the eternal spiritual pursuit for truth and wisdom. It suggests that in order for us to find what no one has found, we must search where few have looked. In 2013, a group led by Helen Mayberg published a groundbreaking paper that sought an answer to one of the most discussed conundrums in psychiatry and neuroscience: Can specific patterns of brain activity indicate how a depressed person will respond to treatment with medication or psychotherapy? Our author examines the findings and discusses their potential impact on treatment for a public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide.