Depression and the Brain

Monday's Boston Globe had an interesting article, "New life inside the depressed brain," on depression and the brain in the HealthScience section. It caught my interest for a couple of reasons: 1) there is such a prevalence of depression in our society (it affects 19 million people in our society each year) and 2) I am fascinated by the brain and the ongoing research to understand how it works.

New research has discovered at least a correlation exists between neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons) and depression--cause and effect have not been established at this time. But researchers have found that medications and behaviors (like getting exercise) that tend to lift depression also seem to stimulate the growth of new neurons, especially in the area of the brain called the hippocampus. Things that tend to increase depression like taking illicit drugs, and stress correspond to a reduction in neurogenesis.

If further research bears out these findings, then it could have important implications for diagnosing and treating depression. For example, psychiatrists could use the degree of neurogenesis that occurs as a way of determining if an antidepressant medication is holds promise rather than waiting for the several weeks it normally takes for an antidepressant to begin having an effect.