讓情緒被 “看見”：寧諾學者用“照相機”捕捉抑郁癥

Please scroll down for the English version- UNNC scientists pioneer “emotional camera” breakthrough for depression diagnosis.

“我沒事。”

這句話，你是不是經常聽到，甚至自己也掛在嘴邊？有時明明內心早已狂風暴雨，嘴上卻輕描淡寫；有時想表達自己的情緒，卻找不到合適的詞語。

長期以來，抑郁癥的診斷就像是一場“迷霧游戲”，太依賴患者的主觀描述，太依賴醫生的經驗判斷。不少人因說不出口的痛苦和看不見的證據而被誤判或漏診。

2026年世界衛生日，世衛組織發出了一個響亮的號召：攜手共促健康，堅定支持科學，同時強調科學成果與多邊合作的重要性。在寧波諾丁漢大學（簡稱“寧諾”），一個跨領域的科研團隊正用行動詮釋著這個主題。他們發現，關于情緒健康的答案，就藏在每個人的身體里。

由寧諾計算機科學首席教授、全球前2%頂尖科學家何祥健，理工學院合作與創新副院長、產品設計與制造教授孫煦，以及計算機科學博士生劉靜組成的科研團隊查閱了近20余年的全球實驗研究后發現，當抑郁癥患者面對特定的情緒刺激時，身體通常會產生一系列可被觀測的生理變化。

研究團隊成員

（從左至右：何祥健教授、孫煦教授、博士生劉靜）

“例如，在面對負面信息時，抑郁癥患者瞳孔擴張的持續時間顯著長于健康人群。而當患者期待獎勵時，其左側前額葉的腦電活動通常會呈現出減弱的趨勢。”孫煦進一步解釋道，“也就是說，如果能記錄目標個體在不同情緒中的生理特征，這些信號便能‘開口說話’，成為當前抑郁癥臨床診斷中缺失的佐證。”

情緒觸發器

目前，研究團隊正在開發一套“情緒觸發器”，用通過嚴格評定的圖片、聲音及視頻，安全、可控地觸發愉悅、悲傷或平靜等目標情緒，為后續生理測量研究提供支撐。

瞳孔結構與瞳孔測量

大腦結構、腦電圖 (EEG)

與功能性近紅外光譜 (fNIRS) 測量

肺結構與呼吸測量

皮膚結構、皮膚電反應 (GSR)

與皮膚溫度 (SKT) 測量

向左滑動查看更多 <<<

同時，團隊還系統梳理了瞳孔測量、腦電圖、功能性近紅外光譜腦成像、皮膚電反應、心電圖等多模態生理測量方法，用以全面記錄抑郁癥患者在情緒波動過程中的生理反應。從精準觸發情緒到實時捕捉生理信號，這項科研成果如同一臺高精度“照相機”，將原本看不見的情緒波動轉變為可量化的生理證據，最終描繪出抑郁癥患者獨特的“情緒生理圖”。

據孫煦介紹，該項科研成果有望在未來應用到臨床診斷中，為精神科醫生的決策和診斷提供參考依據。同時，通過與可穿戴設備結合，該項成果亦有望為日常健康管理和實時監測及預警提供支持，讓那些說不出的情緒被“看見”。

UNNC scientists pioneer “emotional camera” breakthrough for depression diagnosis

To mark World Health Day 2026, researchers at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) have unveiled a pioneering approach to depression research, offering new hope for more accurate diagnosis and future clinical application.

An interdisciplinary team — comprising Professor He Xiangjian, Chair Professor of Computer Science and Technology and one of the world’s top 2% scientists; Professor Sun Xu, Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Partnerships in the Faculty of Science and Engineering and Professor in Industrial Design and Manufacture; and doctoral researcher Liu Jing — has developed an innovative method to objectively capture emotional states through physiological signals. Their work addresses a longstanding challenge in mental health: the reliance on subjective patient descriptions and clinical judgement, which can lead to misdiagnosis or missed cases of depression.

Drawing on more than 20 years of global experimental research, the team found that individuals with depression exhibit distinct physiological responses to emotional stimuli — such as prolonged pupil dilation when exposed to negative information and reduced brain activity in reward-related regions. Building on these findings, they are developing a system of controlled “emotional triggers” using validated images, sounds and videos to reliably elicit specific emotional states.

By integrating multimodal measurement techniques — including pupillometry, electroencephalography and other physiological monitoring tools — the researchers have effectively created a high-precision “emotional camera”. This breakthrough enables invisible emotional fluctuations to be translated into measurable biological data, forming a unique “emotional–physiological profile” for individuals with depression.

The team emphasises that this innovation has strong potential for future clinical application. It could provide psychiatrists with objective diagnostic support, improving accuracy and confidence in decision-making. Furthermore, when combined with wearable technologies, the system may enable real-time monitoring, early intervention and everyday mental health management — ensuring that previously unseen emotional distress can be identified and addressed more effectively.

This research highlights UNNC scientists’ commitment to advancing scientific innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration in support of global health priorities.

圖文來源：Patrick Cai、何祥健、孫煦、劉靜、

網絡（Freepik、Unsplash)

電子編輯：Suri An

精彩內容

再創記錄！寧諾每7位科研教師就有1位躋身 “全球前2%頂尖科學家”

寧波諾丁漢大學正式獲批推免資格，系首批擁有此資格的中外合作高校！

推動“一帶一路”高質量發展——寧諾牽頭的這份聯合國報告重磅發布！

寧波諾丁漢大學

2025高考招生宣傳片

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