Brain and behavioral changes in leprosy patients: a study based on social stigma using magnetic resonance imaging

Leprosy is a curable infectious disease presenting damage in the skin and nerves. The stigma in leprosy promotes social isolation and reinforces maladaptive behaviors, including major impacts on mental health, including depression, anxiety disorders and suicide ideations. Nonetheless, there is a lack of research examining alterations in brain regions associated with emotional processing, specifically, those affected by social rejection and stigmatizing situations, such as the amygdala.