Thin Brains and Depression

[CanadiaNecro1]

Being that depressed is really paralizing. You feel like you have no heart and your soul is dead so you're just waiting for your body to catch up. There's no way to cheer youself up because everything seems bad.

It's horrible but the causes are simple; diet, hormones, not getting enough vitamin D, trauma, fatigue, drugs/alcohol, etc.

[latios1fan]

I didn't know that depression was that serious!

[openuniverse2003]

It's been referred to as "the common cold of psychiatry".

[darthspeaks]

It is. Oh, it is...

[poioFumegante]

i personally still believe depression is not a biological problem, but more like an attitude problem. (although this video may prove me wrong) Gladly I never felt too (clinically) depressed, but that's perhaps because I have a 'prettier' way of seeing life. IMO, people with depressions ought to discard pills and moanings, and do a 'walkabout' on their life, in order to find a way of getting out of their self-loathing lifestyle. Care to discuss on this topic? :)

[diverdan00]

There are many types of depressive illness. The kind of depression talked about here is not limited to reactive depression. If you don't believe depression is biologically mediated, simply talk to bipolar sufferers who have experienced life with and without mood stabilizers. The mood of bipolar, like unipolar people who respond to antidepressants, is mediated the same chemistry that governs appetite, drives, emotionally appropriate responses to environmental stimuli etc.

[poioFumegante]

You sure have a point there. And I must agree with it. Of course there are, biologically caused depressions, such as those you referred. But the point I was trying to make here was that depressions, or at least self.induced ones, seem to be "trendy" nowadays, and it's quite revolting to see perfectly healthy people "play" sick in order to get attention. As I said before, you are totally right.

[jmdnarri]

My question is; does a thin cortex cause someone to be depressed, or does depression cause the thinning of the cortex?

I have family and friends with depression problems of different magnitudes. I would like to see more research into cause and effect concerning depression. I am not convinced that; a lot of the people on medication couldn't manage their lives in a way that would allow them to live without medication.

[mtallmen184]

Dumbass I tried to kill my best friend when I was 6 because he broke my toy

[bmw123321]

it's racist to hate a voice? lol

[teemuruskeepaa]

Brain changes its shape when you learn to use the fork too. See how the positivist school of thought has too much influence?

[fielsjd]

Just like the heart changes its shape when it beats vs when you shoot it with a bazooka. Same thing.

[bmw123321]

FINALLY A NORMAL VOICE OVER.

THANK YOU SCIENCECENTRAL!!

oh god

[MichaelERutherford]

WELL SAID!

[nanogirl]

Incredible research.

[esykillll]

Indeed, I'm an atheist. Thanks.

[AllSentientFreeman]

true true

[esykillll]

And your religion is blind.

[Etimos]

This is an excellent sign. This means they know the physical characteristics that can diagnose clinical depression, and may eventually lead to a cure, if they can ever figure out a way to promote growth of outer brain matter thickness, or prevent this shrinkage in the first place.

Perhaps corrective retro-viral gene therapy, or some sort of brain exercise/stimulation/surgery. Maybe even stem cell implantation to directly increase brain matter thickness by growing more white matter.

[Etimos]

This will also make diagnosis of both Clinically Depressed people and people at high risk of clinical depression much easier. Just a trip to the MRI machine, and a little peek at your gray to white matter ratio, and boom, it's either a case of congenital depression, or a chemical imbalance.

[Etimos]

Personally I'd suggest brain stimulation and color therapy, since color does affect mood. Stick to bright, vibrant colors like green and yellow, primal colors (primal, not primary, before any wise-ass gets funny) that simulate vibrant and healthy colors in nature. Wear brightly colored clothes, and paint your house bright colors (not too bright, you dont want a headache), and do whatever you can to keep those bright, happy colors in your field of view. Pink is also nice, a natural flesh tone.

[marsCubed]

All very good and well Etimos, but be careful that you don't get blinded by the technology.

There is a lot of research which shows that depression, although it may have predisposition in physiology, is very susceptible to learning techniques in overcoming it.

Problem solving and learning activities are even shown to have impact on schizophrenia equivalent to, or better to drug therapies. This machine is very useful, but it is only showing us tendencies.

[Etimos]

Thats where i was going with the therapies and stuff. Treatments. this just demonstrates a diagnostic tool that can now more accurately identify the causes, and now that we know that, we can work on treatments. Brain exercises, stimulation, etc.

I fully encourage problem solving and learning treatments, color treatments, and other types of stimulus to encourage natural correction of negative traits.

[marsCubed]

I am not a medical professional, just someone who has subscribed to new scientist for decades. My understanding of depression is that it is like getting stuck in a loop of repeated thinking, this shows up on scans as a bright spot, stimulating other processes can return thinking to healthy forms. I also see that diet may be a significant factor from my reading, I wonder whether a relationship between diet and predisposition explains the MRI results.

[TheMorningCoffee]

I agree with u mars, at the end of the day its currently a subjective illness that can even be fabricated by some for ulterior motives.

[marsCubed]

Please do not put words in my mouth. Have a look at the current DSM for diagnostic indicators.

[Gorillathehun]

The psychological symptoms have to be accompanied by at least three somatic symptoms.

[teemuruskeepaa]

Manipulation of the chemistry of the brains is rubbish in the treatment of depression. Depression is a motivational condition, meaning you choose to be that in order to avoid or become something. It is a delusional and an obsessive self-inflicted condition that hurts yourself. To treat depression you only need to motivate people to have a different attitude to themselves and to the society. The official medicine and bureaucracy tries to control it and destroy free choice in the process.

[SoullessAtheist]

Your nonsense sounds like it's directly from L.Ron Hubbard.

[anonforuz]

motivate me , lets see how willing you are to give a shit. You truely wouldnt, just like the rest of society. thats why people have to seek help from psychiatrists, cause you pretty much have to pay people to care in this world.

hahah L.Ron Hubbard hahaha the brain is one massive chemical reaction, every emotion is just another chemical being pumped out. And yes you can manipulate brain chemistry to make someone happier, 420 <--- simplest answer

[flobba123]

hmm i got pain in my head 24 hours a day and no doctor can say why..

[AverageJoe8686]

I wonder if that's also why I mostly have headaches on the right side of my head?

[robertghouston]

Did you bang your skull against something, perhaps in your sleep? You should maybe see a neurologist...