To address whether acute changes in amygdala emotional reactivity induced by IFN-α/anti-TNF therapies predispose to the later development/resolution of depressive symptoms we recruited 30 patients scheduled to start IFN-α based therapy for chronic hepatitis-C infection and 30 patients scheduled to start anti-TNF based therapy for inflammatory arthritis. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is chronic hepatitis C virus infection.