Depression Anatomy Of The Brain

Brain-imaging studies point to several brain areas that are likely members of this circuit, particularly the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, the amygdala, and Broadmann Area 25, an area located just under the brain part called the cingulate cortex. Research suggests that, among depressed people, activity and blood flow are low in certain parts of the prefrontal cortex, yet high in other parts; the hippocampus is undersized and its production of new neurons is low; activity and blood flow are elevated in the amygdala; and Broadmann Area 25 is undersized and overactive.

"Depression occurs in 20% of the united states population. Women are more likely to be effected then men and as many as 15% of people with severe depression, commit suicide" (Byke,1). Depression. It is something not many people know a lot about. Most people often think it just means sadness, but it means much more. In todays society, depression affects many people. To fully understand depression, one must look at the causes of depression, the affect depression has on the people who suffer from it and how it is currently being treated.

Depression is a serious illness that can worsen or last for years if it is left untreated. Depression can occur in a number of ways for different reasons. It is common to feel depressed as a reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem. When these feelings become too much to handle they can prevent you from living a normal, healthy life. If you or a family member think you are experiencing depression signs to look out for include difficulty concentrating, fatigue, guilt, worthlessness, Insomnia, Irritability, restlessness, and thoughts of suicide. These are only some of the signs associated with depression, and if symptoms worsen over time a trip to the doctor is necessary. Unfortunately, a lot of the people who experience symptoms never do get diagnosed or treated for their illness because they are too afraid to speak out.

The popular Disney film, Beauty and the Beast, the beloved character, Beast, seems to have the characteristics of depression, and learned helplessness. Martin Seligman began an experiment of shocking dogs in 1956. His study involved evaluating the reaction to a dog being allowed to escape during being shocked. Some of these animals were classically conditioned to associate the ringing of a bell to a shock given. Within the next few experiments, the dogs would either run away at the sound of a bell or show a fear related behavior. For some of the dogs used in the experiment, although get could escape the enclosure from a shock, they didn't, they just sat there and took the pain; Seligman explained this as being “Learned Helplessness”.

Major depression is a commonly diagnosed psychological disorder affecting individuals’ ability to feel happiness and peace of mind. Those who suffer experience negative emotions, lack of motivation, changes in behaviour and dysfunctional cognitive symptoms. Depression is classified by the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as five of more of the listed symptoms present persistently over the same two weeks. One of these symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. Depression causes disruption to typical daily life such as inability to maintain friendships and jobs. Other symptoms outlined by the DSM-5 include; insomnia, fatigue and recurrent thoughts of death. There is much debate over what exactly causes depression. Biological explanations question hereditary and neurotransmitter factors. While psychological theories include the cognitive ideas of Beck’s negative triad and hopelessness theory. This essay will focus on the ways in which psychological and biological explanations contrast and how their theories can overlap to better understand depression.

The pathophysiology of depression is multifaceted and difficult to pinpoint. Depression can arise from a multitude of precipitating factors, both external and internal to the patient. There are varying theories about the cause of depression, each of which “are based on studies investigating psychosocial stress and stress hormones, neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), neurocircuitry, neurotrophic factors, and circadian rhythms” (Hasler, 2010). Due to the vast immensity of theories available, Woo, & Robinson (2016) recommends that treatment for depression should be tailored to each patient and their disease state individually. In Mary Smith’s case her depression appears

Also research supports that ongoing stress impairs the growth of the nerve cell in the hippocampus. The amygdala is associated with emotions mainly fear and anger. With depressed individuals, a variety of scans show the amygdala to be very active and there is an increase in activity when the person is saddened or depressed. Even after affected people recovery, the increased activity in the amygdala is still present for a period of time. Another area of the body that research has determined plays a role with the development of depression is the endocrine system. The endocrine system is made up of small glands which are responsible for producing hormones and to release them into the bloodstream. The hormonal levels are keep constant and avoid

The role of serotonin on the mood of depressed patients is not fully understood. Studies show that a shortage of serotonin affects an area of brain that predominates emotions: the amygdala. (2) This almond-shaped brain region connects emotions to our sensory perceptions and appears particularly important in the formation of negative emotions. A lack of serotonin makes the amygdala more susceptible to sensory stimuli. In an experiment where they temporarily lowered serotonin levels in the brain in healthy subjects, they recorded a stronger reaction of the amygdala. (3) Foreign studies confirm this role of amygdala during depression.

This essay will discuss the biological and psychological aspects of depressive disorders, the focus is on depressive disorders as opposed to bipolar disorders in the mood disorders category as depressive disorders are more prevalent in society with one fifth of the population exhibiting symptoms (The British Psychological Association, 2013) compared to bipolar disorders which 1%-1.5% of the population are affected by (The British Psychological Association, 2010). In particular this essay will look at the biological model of depression in particular the influence of the neurotransmitter serotonin (Young & Leyton, 2002) in both the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders and also the cognitive model (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979) which

Depression can be defined as a mental disorder that affect the way people think, feel, and act. According to researchers, this mental disorder affects two parts of the brain such as the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. This areas of the brain have different role. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that controls attention and focus whereas the hippocampus responsible for learning

There has been a myriad of research investigating the symbiotic relationship between hippocampal volume and major mood disorders (MDD) like depression. Despite being one of the most prevalent illnesses, the underlying pathogenesis and neurobiology of MDD remain unclear. It has been widely documented that patients with a MDD tend to have smaller hippocampal volumes (Sheline et al., 1996, Nordanskog et al., 2014). The hippocampus is known to be closely affiliated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is required to produce glucocorticoids that are involved in stress mechanisms (Chen et al., 2010). Moreover, stressful life events are considered a critical risk factor in the development of depression (Zannas et al., 2013). This, coupled with findings which suggest that depressed patients have difficulty with hippocampal-dependent learning and memory tasks (Gould et al., 1998, Gould et al., 2007), accentuates the relationship between the hippocampus and MDD being mediated through stress. There are various hypotheses regarding what may cause hippocampal volume diminution as a consequence of stress. Major propositions involve hippocampal neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (Becker and Wojtowicz, 2007), glial numbers, apoptosis (Czeh and Lucassen, 2007) and granule neuron numbers (Boldrini et al., 2013). Other mechanisms that may affect hippocampal volume like neuropil reduction, shifts in fluid balance between the ventricles and brain tissue and changes in

The limbic system was first recognized due to Franz Josef Gall (LeDoux, J., 1996). Franz Joseph Gall developed the idea of “phrenology” that focused on the study of the different variations of bumps on the human skull to be related to differences in behavioral and emotional functioning. The limbic system’s main function in the brain is to control emotional behaviors and certain forms of memories that are infused with emotion (amygdala). The amygdala is a part of the brain that forms the tail end of the basal ganglia within the rostral temporal lobe and is located near the hippocampus (Lambert, K.G. & Kinsley, C .H., 2005). The amygdala, as defined by the text, is an almond-shaped structure that functions as a part of the limbic system involved in regulation of emotion and sexual urges (Lambert, K.G. & Kinsley, C .H., 2005). In addition, the amygdala is comprised of a dozen or more sub regions that are not all involved in fear conditioning (LeDoux, J., 1996).

According to Morgan (2015), the neuroscience of depression has an emotional impact on many areas of the brain. The stressors in the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis initiate the release of the

Depression have become a major problem in our society today. People who haven’t experience depression will not understand how it feel and what it can do to a person. Many people also doesn’t understand what depression is, or how it can related to suicidal ideation. In fact, studies have documented that the majority of young suicide victims had depression at the time of death and most suicide survivors were diagnosed with symptoms of clinical depression at the time of their attempt (Mojs, Biederman, Głowacka, Strzelecki, Ziemska, Samborski 2015). It can affect anyone, from young adolescents to college students to the elderly people. There are many reasons that can make someone have major depression. Such as financial problems, family problems, social problems, school, work, etc. These stressors in our daily life can cause anxiety which can increase our stress level significantly, which then can lead to depression. A research said that anxiety disorder have a high comorbidity with depression and that anxiety occur prior to the onset of depressive disorders in many individuals (Batterham, Christensen, Calear 2013). People who experience depression must find way to cope with depression and know how to get help in order to prevent suicidal ideation. The people surroundings, friends and family, must also find ways to recognize the symptoms of depression, and show understandings in order to help those suffering. This research project will help people understand more about

The severity of depression has been supported through scientific evidence that indicates that depression has a biological basis in the brain of a depressed person along with psychological and social implications. Whilst there are many catalysts in a person’s life that can be identified as a possible root cause of depression, such as stressful life events or the death of a loved one, the issue is far more complex, as the biological triggers of depression are not as easily expressed, such as faulty mood regulation in the brain, vulnerable genetics in the DNA, and other medical problems. Many things are altered in the brain of the depressed person. Firstly, what most understand to be an imbalance in the levels of chemicals that regulate emotions, is in reality far more elaborate. The true issue surrounding the many chemicals involved inside and outside of the nerve cells that undergo numerous chemical reaction which make up the dynamic system that is responsible for mood, perceptions, and the way one experiences life you experiences life can be altered in different ways that affect how one lives. Along with the brains chemicals, the connections between nerve cells called neurons decrease and deteriorate, meaning the