Wednesday, March 27, 2024

What Chemical In The Brain Causes Depression

Neurotransmitters Involved In Depression

Depression Is Not Caused by a Chemical Imbalance

So, how exactly are neurotransmitters involved in mental health issues like depression? While some neurotransmitters are primarily responsible for controlling your physical functions, others play important roles in regulating your moods, thoughts and emotions.

Researchers have identified several important neurotransmitters that are involved in managing your moods and thoughts. Three of these are thought to be involved in depression.

The first neurotransmitter linked to depression is serotonin. Serotonin is a vital neurotransmitter thats involved in regulating your mood, feelings of happiness and levels of anxiety. It also plays an important role in managing your sleep cycle, bone health and digestion.

Research suggests that low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, while high levels are associated with decreased arousal.

Low levels of serotonin are also linked to other mental health issues. For example, experts have found that people with low serotonin levels have an elevated risk of developing anxiety, suicidal behavior or obsessive-compulsive disorder .

The second neurotransmitter associated with depression is norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is also a hormone and a neurotransmitter.

Its in your adrenal glands and plays an important role in promoting alertness, attention and focus.

Norepinephrine also has important mental functions. Its involved in regulating your sleep-wake cycle, allowing you to wake up and function in the morning.

Neurotransmitters And Depression: What You Need To Know

Although studies continue to provide evidence for the different ways in which neurotransmitters relate to depression, research clearly shows that there is a connection between the two. Lets explore neurotransmitters and their role in depression as well as the brain.

With more than 264 million people around the world living with some form of depression, most of us are probably familiar with the condition. We hear about depression in TED Talks, we read about it on social media, we share statistics about it, and the majority of us know people living with it. But regardless of how much or how little we know about depression, we need to understand that the condition represents more than a sudden mood change or a temporary emotional reaction. Instead, depression is an unshakable feeling of sadness that affects every part of our lives.

The Role Of Biology In Depression: A Whole

Research has now proven that when it comes to mental health, it truly isnt all in your head. For depression, mood disorders, and other mental illnesses, we have to consider the health of the body as a whole.

In this section, we review the body systems that are currently thought to be most involved in stress and depression. Because this is an emerging field, this information is meant to illustrate the different types of biological issues we should be thinking about and is not meant to be definitive or complete.

Also Check: How To Cope With Chronic Depression

What Causes Low Levels

Neurotransmitters work by traveling between neurons, aka nerve cells, and attaching to receptor sites. Once they reach the receptor site, their message has been relayed. This triggers an action in the target cells.

Its unclear whether low levels of neurotransmitters cause depression, but they can decrease the amount of nerve cell communication in the brain. This disconnects the brain and signals to know when to experience certain emotions and responses.

There are several possible explanations for low levels of neurotransmitters:

  • lack of receptor sites to receive messages
  • not enough are being produced
  • shortage of molecules that help produce the neurotransmitter
  • termination of the signal before the neurotransmitter reaches the receptor site

Is Depression Really Caused By A Chemical Imbalance

Depression: the chemical and emotional of our brain

The idea that depression is caused by a serotonin deficiency was popular in advertisements for antidepressant medications in the early 2000s, and many mental health professionals reflected this explanation to their patients.

There was little evidence to make this definitive conclusion. Rather, while there is evidence that shows antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be effective in the treatment of depression, the exact reason for how this improvement happens isnt known.

Chemical imbalance and serotonin deficiency were used as a metaphor for the more complex workings in the brain and factors involved with depression. This erroneously led many people to believe that treating depression with antidepressants was like treating hypothyroidism with thyroid medications or type 1 diabetes with insulina simple matter of replenishing low serotonin.

More recent advertising highlights that the medication affects neurotransmitters instead of correcting an imbalance. This reflects the complexity and nuance involved in treating depression and how treatments for mental health conditions are not one-size-fits-all.

Its suggested that there is no optimal amount of neurotransmitters, so it would be difficult to define an imbalance. In addition, medications that are not SSRIs have also been shown to alleviate depression symptoms. This implies that depression is more than a simple chemical imbalance.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder: When Winter Brings The Blues

Many people feel sad when summer wanes, but some actually develop depression with the season’s change. Known as seasonal affective disorder , this form of depression affects about 1% to 2% of the population, particularly women and young people.

SAD seems to be triggered by more limited exposure to daylight typically it comes on during the fall or winter months and subsides in the spring. Symptoms are similar to general depression and include lethargy, loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities, irritability, inability to concentrate, and a change in sleeping patterns, appetite, or both.

To combat SAD, doctors suggest exercise, particularly outdoor activities during daylight hours. Exposing yourself to bright artificial light may also help. Light therapy, also called phototherapy, usually involves sitting close to a special light source that is far more intense than normal indoor light for 30 minutes every morning. The light must enter through your eyes to be effective skin exposure has not been proven to work. Some people feel better after only one light treatment, but most people require at least a few days of treatment, and some need several weeks. You can buy boxes that emit the proper light intensity with a minimal amount of ultraviolet light without a prescription, but it is best to work with a professional who can monitor your response.

There are few side effects to light therapy, but you should be aware of the following potential problems:

What Causes Depression In The Brain

One of the most difficult aspects of understanding depression is pinpointing its root causes, as they vary from person to person. Sometimes, the reason is clear, such as witnessing or living through a traumatic event. Other times, the reason for depression is subtle and hidden under layers of suppressed memories. There are even times when were depressed for no clear reason. To help us understand why depression can manifest itself in so many different ways, researchers study the brain. Since our brains control, manage and balance our emotions, they are the key to understanding how and why we develop depression in the first place.

A Harvard Medical School special report, Understanding Depression explains the condition like this: Certain areas of the brain help regulate mood. Researchers believe thatmore important than levels of specific brain chemicalsnerve cell connections, nerve cell growth, and the functioning of nerve circuits have a major impact on depression.

Many of us blame our brain chemistry for depression or anxiety. But research like the report above indicates that the brains role in depression is much more complex than simply regulating emotions. Instead, the difference between a person who struggles with depression and a person who does not may have more to do with how the different parts of our brain work together.

Lets explore more about neurotransmitters and their role in the brain.

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Heres The Chemicals Brain Affected Depression In You

You need to get to know What Chemicals In the Brain Cause Emotions. Things that make you feel all different kind of emotions such as happy, sad, angry and also affected depression. Let highlight the sad feeling that often times lead to depression and even death.

The silent killer in the human emotional core is often misleading and not many willing to talk about it. It is not there are certain symptoms, medicine or effects that can be a guide. All have a very personal root to each individuals brains and background. Here are some of the chemicals in the brain that affected depression.

Chemicals Brain Affected Depression

Surely there are chemicals contributing to the condition but not because of too low or too high in the body. Depression from chemicals works inside and outside that make up the dynamic system responsible for your perceptions, and how you see life.

This chemical in the Brain act to enhances the memory which deeply involves in the learning ability or most important part is to recall any past memory.

The problems in this chemical in the brain are the result where often time patient dont have any recalling memory of he or her previously. Therefore, often time doctor will ask personal information just to check how far this chemical falls in the depression types.

This medication mechanism also explains how the drug smooths out the highs of mania and the lower the depression symptoms effectively for a very long period of time.

  • Gamma-aminobutyric acid

    More Than A Chemical Imbalance

    What Causes Depression? It’s Not Just A Chemical Imbalance

    For many years, researchers thought that the root cause of depression was a chemical imbalance in the brain. Depression was thought to occur because the brain didnt produce enough of certain chemicals , such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which are important for mood regulation.

    Thats why depression is treated with antidepressants. Some antidepressants help the brain produce more of the neurotransmitters and others help these chemicals hang around a little longer inside your head.

    Nowadays, the story is different.

    Even though antidepressants immediately provide the brain with more neurotransmitters, it takes several weeks for the medications to work. This is a fact that has made more than one researcher scratch their heads. If the chemical imbalance is the problem, why doesnt depression disappear as soon as we fix the chemical imbalance?

    Well, new research suggests that the chemical imbalance is a consequence of the more fundamental cause of depression. Its true that neurotransmitters play an important role in depression, but theyre probably not the core problem.

    Today, researchers believe that the most probable cause of depression is a slow production of new brain cells and poor connections between brain cells, especially in the prefrontal cortex and in the Hippocampus. Among other things, these brain areas are responsible for mood regulation and information processing.

    Simply put:

  • Connections between brain cells are broken
  • Also Check: Sleep Medication For Anxiety And Depression

    Does Depression Often Occur With Grief

    Grief is a common, normal response to loss. Losses that may lead to grief include the death or separation of a loved one, loss of a job, death or loss of a beloved pet, or any number of other changes in life, such as divorce, becoming an “empty nester,” or retirement.

    Anyone can experience grief and loss, but not everyone will experience clinical depression, which differs from grief in that depression involves a range of other symptoms such as feelings of low self-worth, negative thoughts about the future, and suicide, whereas grief involves feelings of emptiness, loss and longing for a loved one, with an intact capacity to feel pleasure. Each person is unique in how they cope with these feelings.

    Not Supported By The Evidence

    The serotonin theory of depression has been one of the most influential and extensively researched biological theories of the origins of depression. Our study shows that this view is not supported by scientific evidence. It also calls into question the basis for the use of antidepressants.

    Most antidepressants now in use are presumed to act via their effects on serotonin. Some also affect the brain chemical noradrenaline. But experts agree that the evidence for the involvement of noradrenaline in depression is weaker than that for serotonin.

    There is no other accepted pharmacological mechanism for how antidepressants might affect depression. If antidepressants exert their effects as placebos, or by numbing emotions, then it is not clear that they do more good than harm.

    Although viewing depression as a biological disorder may seem like it would reduce stigma, in fact, research has shown the opposite, and also that people who believe their own depression is due to a chemical imbalance are more pessimistic about their chances of recovery.

    It is important that people know that the idea that depression results from a chemical imbalance is hypothetical. And we do not understand what temporarily elevating serotonin or other biochemical changes produced by antidepressants do to the brain. We conclude that it is impossible to say that taking SSRI antidepressants is worthwhile, or even completely safe.

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    How Stress Affects The Body

    What causes depression chemical imbalance  Health

    Stress can be defined as an automatic physical response to any stimulus that requires you to adjust to change. Every real or perceived threat to your body triggers a cascade of stress hormones that produces physiological changes. We all know the sensations: your heart pounds, muscles tense, breathing quickens, and beads of sweat appear. This is known as the stress response.

    The stress response starts with a signal from the part of your brain known as the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus joins the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands to form a trio known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which governs a multitude of hormonal activities in the body and may play a role in depression as well.

    When a physical or emotional threat looms, the hypothalamus secretes corticotropin-releasing hormone , which has the job of rousing your body. Hormones are complex chemicals that carry messages to organs or groups of cells throughout the body and trigger certain responses. CRH follows a pathway to your pituitary gland, where it stimulates the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone , which pulses into your bloodstream. When ACTH reaches your adrenal glands, it prompts the release of cortisol.

    The boost in cortisol readies your body to fight or flee. Your heart beats faster up to five times as quickly as normal and your blood pressure rises. Your breath quickens as your body takes in extra oxygen. Sharpened senses, such as sight and hearing, make you more alert.

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    How Is Genetics Linked To The Risk Of Depression

    We know that depression can sometimes run in families. This suggests that there’s at least a partial genetic link to depression. Children, siblings, and parents of people with severe depression are somewhat more likely to have depression than are members of the general population. Multiple genes interacting with one another in special ways probably contribute to the various types of depression that run in families. Yet despite the evidence of a family link to depression, it is unlikely that there is a single “depression” gene, but rather, many genes that each contribute small effects toward depression when they interact with the environment.

    Depression Medications And Treatment

    Some new and investigational treatments for depression include drugs that block the neurotransmitter glutamate, which can be toxic in large doses, or that help regulate hormones involved in sleep or the stress response. Some drugsas well as brain and nerve stimulation therapies that appear to have benefits in depressionmay work by promoting or regulating connectivity within certain parts of the brain. It appears that certain neuronal networks can be either overactive or underactive in depression.

    The more researchers study the brains of depressed people, the more theyre able to pinpoint specific brain abnormalities associated with each aspect of depression. Several research projects, for instance, have linked specific features of depression, including disrupted or unbalanced feelings of guilt, the tendency to ruminate about negative thoughts, anhedonia, and disruptions in memory, with very specific brain imbalances or abnormalities.

    The eventual goal is that people with specific depression types, or even specific genes associated with depression risk, will be matched with the treatments that are most likely to be helpful for them as individuals.

    Originally published in 2016, this post is regularly updated.

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    What Is The Biochemical Basis Of Depression

    Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

    There are several theories about what causes depression. The condition most likely results from a complex interplay of individual factors, but one of the most widely accepted explanations cites abnormal brain chemistry.

    Sometimes, people with depression relate the condition back to a specific factor, such as a traumatic event in their life. However, it’s not uncommon for people who are depressed to be confused about the cause. They may even feel as though they don’t have “a reason” to be depressed.

    In these cases, learning about the theories of what causes depression can be helpful. Here’s an overview of what is known about how chemical imbalances in the brain may influence depression.

    The Experts At Harvard Medical School Help Us Understand Depression

    Is depression caused by chemical imbalance – latest evidence explained

    It’s often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn’t capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.

    To be sure, chemicals are involved in this process, but it is not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Rather, many chemicals are involved, working both inside and outside nerve cells. There are millions, even billions, of chemical reactions that make up the dynamic system that is responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.

    With this level of complexity, you can see how two people might have similar symptoms of depression, but the problem on the inside, and therefore what treatments will work best, may be entirely different.

    What follows is an overview of the current understanding of the major factors believed to play a role in depression.

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