The main cause of depression is genetically determined disorders of the metabolism of biogenic amines. This was announced on November 15, 2023 by Russian specialists from the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov of the Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University).
With the development of a depressive state in the body, the ratio of serotonin, epinephrine and many other substances is disturbed, which leads to the manifestation of various negative signs: deterioration of mood, lack of joy, feeling of lack of strength, etc. This, in turn, severely limits a person's adaptability.
Antidepressants
Main article: Antidepressants
2024
Breakthrough in the treatment of depression: Russian experts found its biomarkers in the brain
On August 14, 2024, it became known that Russian scientists from the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (BFU named after I. Kant), together with an international group of researchers, made a significant breakthrough in the diagnosis of depression. Experts have identified specific patterns of brain activity associated with this disease, which opens up new opportunities for its treatment.
According to Kommersant, 42 people took part in an experimental study led by Professor Drozdstoy Stoyanov from the Medical University of Plovdiv (Bulgaria): 20 healthy volunteers and 22 patients with a major depressive episode. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), during which they completed self-reported depression questionnaires alternating with neutral questions.
Employees of the I. Kant BFU - Vladimir Khorev, Semyon Kurkin and Rositsa Paunova - conducted an independent analysis of fMRI data and found differences in the activity of several zones of the cerebral cortex in patients with depression compared to healthy people. In particular, changes in the work of the anterior cingulate cortex, the middle frontal gyrus, the right upper frontal gyrus and the right middle cingulate cortex were revealed.
"The brain regions identified are part of the neural networks responsible for self-reflection, social behavior, attention, and emotion regulation. Their dysfunction may underlie depressive disorders, "said Semyon Kurkin, a leading researcher at the Center for Neurotechnologies and Machine Learning at BFU named after I. Kanta.
The practical value of the study is that the biomarkers discovered in the future may find application in the diagnosis and personalization of depression therapy. This opens up new avenues for translational psychiatry - a direction seeking to link neuroimaging findings to psychopathology.[1]
How exercise treats depression. Scientific explanation
At the end of July 2024, specialists from University College London released the results of a study that examined the impact of exercise on depression. It has been established that many biological and psychological processes have a positive effect on the state of people.
Depressive disorder is a common mental health disorder. It is characterized by long periods of depressed mood or loss of interest in the usual activity and the ability to enjoy it. It is estimated that 3.8% of the world's population experiences depression, including 5% of adults (4% of men and 6% of women) and 5.7% of people over the age of 60. Depression is known to be closely related to and dependent on physical health.
Scientists say that depression, especially anhedonia (a wide range of disorders of hedonic function, including a decrease in motivation or ability to experience pleasure), is associated with inflammatory factors that are responsible for various diseases and disrupt dopamine activity. Studies have shown that suppressing chemicals responsible for inflammatory responses reduces symptoms of depression and anhedonia. Thus, evidence suggests that inflammation reduces dopamine activity, which reduces motivation in response to mental and/or physical effort. At the same time, physical activity helps to eliminate negative effects.
The authors of the work concluded that exercise, especially aerobic activities that cause sweating and shortness of breath, reduce inflammation and increase dopamine transmission, which in turn increases the desire to make efforts and, therefore, increases motivation in general. Thus, depression symptoms are suppressed.[2]
2023
Smart ball designed to eliminate anxiety and depression
At the end of August 2023, British researchers from the University of Bath reported on the development of a smart ball designed to maintain mental health, eliminate anxiety and depression. The so-called Physical Artifact to Support Wellbeing (PAWS) is said to "personify" breathing, helping a person to relax and calm down. Read more here.
Miniature implant for depression introduced
A miniature implant for the treatment of depression is presented. This was EverCare.ru announced by Zdrav.Expert on October 9, 2023. Read more here.
Australia first in the world to allow the use of ecstasy to treat depression
In early July 2023, Australia became the first country to allow psychiatrists to prescribe psychedelics to patients with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Read more here.
Patients began to be implanted with neurostimulators instead of antidepressants
On July 20, 2023, Magnus Medical, a manufacturer of medical equipment and developer of brain stimulation technology for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, introduced Saint's system for the therapy of major depressive disorder (MDD). Read more here.
Australia first in the world to allow the use of ecstasy to treat depression
In early July 2023, Australia became the first country to allow psychiatrists to prescribe psychedelics to patients with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Read more here.
A new word in treating depression and Alzheimer's. The resolution of PET scanners was first increased to a level that allows counting the nuclei of the brain stem
On June 24, 2023, Canadian researchers at the Sherbrooke Center for Molecular Imaging announced the development of an ultra-high resolution positron emission tomograph (PET). This scanner is expected to help treat all sorts of ailments, including Alzheimer's disease. Read more here.
Depression linked to weakened brain immune cells
On May 22, 2023, specialists from the Netherlands Institute of Neurology released the results of a study that studied the biological mechanisms underlying depression. It has been established that this mental disorder is associated with the weakening of immune cells in the brain.
It is noted that depression is one of the main causes of disability around the world. Statistically, up to 30% of people with major depressive disorder (MDD) are in treatment-resistant conditions. Therefore, understanding the causes of the disease is very important for finding effective methods of therapy. Earlier studies have indicated a link between depression and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal pathologies, and multiple sclerosis. Now new data has been received.
It is known that inflammation affects the activity of microglia: these are immune cells in the brain, which, among other things, are responsible for suppressing pathogens. In healthy people, microglia are extremely dynamic, however, abnormalities are observed in mental disorders. During the work, specialists from the Netherlands studied brain tissue taken from 13 people with depression after their death. It turned out that patients with depression have fewer active microglial cells. This suggests that the development of a mental disorder may be facilitated precisely by the weakening of the immune cells of the brain, and not inflammation.
 | During the study, we used tissue immediately after death to isolate microglia and compare it in depressed patients and in people in the control group. We observed abnormal microglia in patients in decline, and the largest deviations were detected in those who were in the most depressed state just before death, "said Karel Scheepstra, lead author of the study.[3] |  |
Women have 10 times more DNA regions associated with depression than men
On March 14, 2023, Canadian specialists from McGill University released the results of a study that studied the occurrence and course of depressive disorder in women and men.
It is noted that depression in different patients varies greatly in severity, symptoms and nature. It is estimated that about 280 million people around the world suffer from this disease. Moreover, it is depression that largely causes about 700 thousand suicides every year.
Scientists say that the manifestation of depression in men and women varies greatly. The response to treatment is also different. However, doctors do not understand well why this is happening. The work done by the team from McGill University will help shed light on this problem.
Participants in the new study analyzed information on about 270 thousand people from the UK Biobank database. Distinct differences in genetic associations of depression between male and female genomes have been identified. Specifically, 11 regions of DNA specifically associated with depression were identified in women, while only one was identified in men. In addition, experts have found that depression is closely related to metabolic diseases in representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.
Both men and women share problems with the BMAL1 protein, a regulator of circadian rhythms, the study found. Insomnia is one of the significant symptoms characteristic of both sexes when it comes to major depressive disorder (MDD).
| | These findings are important for developing specific treatments that will benefit both men and women given their differences, said Dr. Patricia Pelufo Silveira, lead author and assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill University.[4] | |
Neuromodulation device for the treatment of electric shock depression released
On March 6, 2023, Sooma Medical introduced a neuromodulation device to treat depression with a weak current. The novelty was called Sooma. Read more here.
2022
Presented a wearable ECG device for controlling depression and dementia
In late October 2022, researchers at Osaka University in Japan developed a wearable electroencephalography device that can measure brain activity, potentially allowing doctors to track conditions such as depression or dementia. Read more here.
A neurostimulation system has emerged to treat anxiety and depression
On August 30, 2022, it became known that deep transcranial magnetic stimulation coils from BrainsWay were entering the market for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Read more here.
Apparatus for treating anxiety depression released
In July 2022, Neuronetics released the NeuroStar machine, which developers say allows for the treatment of anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from major depressive disorder, also known as anxiety depression. Read more here.
2020: Japanese scientists prove virus causes depression
How it affects a person can be determined by a blood test, according to employees of Jikei Medical University. According to RIA Novosti in July 2020, one of the eight human herpes viruses that lives in any human body becomes the culprit of the depressive state. With stress or fatigue, its amount increases and it begins to penetrate the brain, infecting the olfactory bulb, while producing a protein of a certain species. This is accompanied by the arrival of a large amount of calcium into the cell, which leads to its death.
As a result of the death of the cells of the olfactory bulb, a person begins stress, which subsequently leads to depression. Scientists confirm that the presence of this protein in the body increases the risk of depression by 12 times. It is found in 80 percent of people with confirmed depression. Now Japanese scientists are focused on developing methods to prevent this disease.
2019
Device that electrocutes to fight depression goes on sale
At the end of October 2019, the first brain stimulation device in Europe was presented, designed to treat depression at home. The non-invasive Flow tDCS device uses small electrical pulses to re-distribute neuronal activity in the anterior lobe of the brain. The headset is used in conjunction with the virtual assistant installed on the smartphone. Read more here.
Percentage of the population aged 15 + years in Europe suffering from chronic depression
at 15
1938: Treatment of depression by electricity
Risk of depression in menopause increases 14 times
The risk of depression in menopause increases 14 times. Between 16% and 20% of women encounter her at menopause.
Spring depression
The onset of the long-awaited spring does not always provoke an extremely good mood. Sunny weather, melt snow, as well as chirping birds do not affect everyone equally positively and for some becomes a catalyst for the development of a depressed state: apathy, sadness, constant fatigue and lack of motivation for anything - all these are signs of the development of seasonal blues, which many call spring depression. What is the reason for this condition?
The clinical picture of spring depression was first described by Norman Rosenthal and a team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health in 1984. Since then, scientists have been trying to find the causes of seasonal affective disorder, but at the beginning of 2019 there is no data on why this ailment occurs.
In most cases, such a condition overtakes a person at the same time of the year. People between the ages of 18 and 40 are most susceptible to this disorder, but women suffer from it 4 times more often than men. It should be noted that after 30 years, the likelihood of developing "seasonal depression" decreases. Unlike spring blues, this disorder has a number of distinctive symptoms:
- morning sickness,
- waking problems,
- excessively long sleep,
- concentration problems,
- lack of libido, and
- overeating and, as a result, the emergence of excess weight.
"The occurrence of spring depression is most often associated with exhaustion of the body," said Mikhail Kumov, a psychotherapist at Medicine JSC (clinic of Academician Reutberg), a member of the Russian Professional Psychotherapeutic League. - A person survived a long winter and meets spring with a lack of vitamins. Many have suffered acute respiratory infections, the flu, and there is still a long, sometimes cold, and not always sunny spring ahead. Some, for example, made certain plans for this time of year, which for one reason or another are not destined to be realized, which in turn generates destructive thoughts that lead to depression. It is important to understand that the reason for its development is not some specific reason, but a combination of various factors, including the above. "
Spring depression, which in its course passes relatively easily and is exogenous, should be differentiated from endogenous depression, which develops not by external, but by internal factors. Women are more susceptible to spring affective disorder, due to the fact that their psyche is more mobile, and they themselves are more impressionable in contrast to men, and more emotional.
It is not necessary to go immediately to the psychotherapist if the symptoms are not pronounced. At the initial stages, you can try to cope with this condition yourself - more walking in sunny weather, move more, try to normalize sleep, revise your daily diet, unload the gastrointestinal tract with easy food for digestion and include vitamin supplements in your diet, in particular B vitamins, e.g. B6, aka pyridoxine hydrochloride; as well as group D. It will not be superfluous, by the way, to try the spring post. People practicing diets or fasting in spring often note an improvement in well-being. In addition, try to avoid bright colors in daily clothes and the interior around you. Most often, spring depression passes with the onset of summer, but it should be understood that this condition can be easily launched, which can lead to more serious consequences.
If during the period of onset of symptoms of spring affective disorder you have the opportunity to take a vacation and go to warm countries, this will be the best solution in this situation, and with a high probability of returning you will feel much better, since such a change of scenery will benefit as well as the psyche, so the body, allowing you to switch from existing problems to rest. If you have previously noticed a deterioration in your own condition in early spring, then the vacation should be scheduled for the end of February.
If the situation is much worse and the existing symptoms indicate that you have developed depression, then in this case you should not postpone and seek help from specialists - a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Modern psychotherapeutic treatment methods allow you to change your view of the world around you, find motivation to move forward and enjoy life. You need to be prepared for the fact that this will take a certain time, since the psyche is inert and does not change quickly, but the fact that this will happen in the case of well-chosen therapy is for sure. Perhaps, having passed this path of treatment with a specialist once, the next time if the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder occur again, you will be able to cope with it yourself.
Notes
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