Resources  email page print page Basic Information Introduction and Types of Depression Major Depression and other Unipolar DepressionsClassic Symptoms of Major DepressionUnderstanding Mood Episodes in DepressionThe Course of Major DepressionDSM Specifiers for Major DepressionPrevalenceFormal DSM Diagnoses for Other Depressive Mood DisordersSymptoms - Dysthymic DisorderFormal DSM Diagnoses Continued Related Disorders / Conditions Other Conditions Related to DepressionMajor Depression Related Conditions ContinuedMajor Depression Related Conditions ConclusionThe Far Reaches of Depression Historical and Current Understandings Historical Understandings of DepressionHistorical Understandings of Depression ContinuedCurrent Understandings of Major Depression - Biopsychosocial ModelCurrent Understandings of Major Depression - Diathesis-Stress Model Biology, Psychology and Sociology Biology of Depression - NeurotransmittersBiology of Depression - Neuroplasticity and EndocrinologyBiology of Depression - Genetics and ImagingBiology of Depression - PsychoneuroimmunologyPsychology of Depression- Psychodynamic TheoriesPsychology of Depression- Behavioral TheoriesCognitive Theories of Major Depression - Aaron BeckCognitive Theories of Major Depression - Ellis and BanduraCognitive Theories of Major Depression - SeligmanSociology of Depression - Effects of CultureSocial and Relational Factors in Major DepressionLifestyle Factors and Environmental Causes of Major Depression Treatment - Medication and Psychotherapy Treatment: When to Seek Professional Help and Where to Find Help for Major DepressionMeasuring DepressionClinician-Rated and Self-Report Questionnaires/Tests for Major DepressionModes of TreatmentMedications for Major DepressionAntidepressants for Major Depression - SSRIsAntidepressants for Major Depression - SSNIsAntidepressants for Major Depression - With Children, TCAs, and MAOIsMood Stabilizers for Major DepressionNon-pharmaceutical Medical Therapies for Major DepressionPsychotherapy - Evidence-Based Treatments for Major DepressionCognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major DepressionCognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depression ContinuedInterpersonal Therapy for Major DepressionOther Forms of Psychotherapy for Major Depression - Behavior TherapyOther Forms of Psychotherapy for Major Depression - Psychodynamic TherapyOther Forms of Psychotherapy for Major Depression - Group, Family and Couples Therapy Alternative Medicine and Self-Help Resources Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Major DepressionMajor Depression and St. John's WortMajor Depression and ExerciseMajor Depression and Omega 3 Fatty AcidsMajor Depression Serotonin Precursors: SAMeMajor Depression Serotonin Precursors: 5-HTPLess Well-Studied CAM Remedies For Depression - B-Vitamins and Traditional Chinese MedicineLess Well-Studied CAM Remedies For Depression - Ayurveda and HomeopathySelf-Help Methods for Major Depression Community and On-line Self-Help Resources for Major Depression Depression Reading List Special Issues Further Observations Regarding Major Depression Treatment and Special Issues - SuicideSpecial Issues - Severe Depression, Dual Depression and Dual Diagnosis References Depression Article References More Information Aging and DepressionAntidepressants No Better Than Placebo Says A New Study, But It's Really More Complicated Than That... Blunt InstrumentsBrain Neuroplasticity and Treatment Resistant DepressionComing Out of the Depression ClosetCosmo Magic to Cyclothymic: Highs, Lows and States of FlowDepression and CancerDepression and DiabetesDepression and Heart DiseaseDepression and HIV/AIDSDepression and ParkinsonsDepression and StrokeDepression and WomenDepression, ADHD, Psychotherapy and MedicationDysthymic Disorder SymptomsElliott Smith and the gift of Vulnerability MusicFeeling Good, It's Not Just In the BrainGoing Postal: The Road to Depression and SalvationGuest Editorial: Celeb Feud Brought Up Critical IssuesHelping Children Understand and Cope with Parental DepressionListening to Readers on Prozac, Depression & the Medical System: Part IListening to Readers on Prozac, Depression & the Medical System: Part IIMajor Depression SymptomsMen and DepressionNational Depression Screening Day, Thursday October 8, 2009Older Adults: Depression and Suicide FactsOrganizationsPost Partum Depression and The Importance of SleepReader Feedback on the Depression SeriesRunning On FiftySt. John's Wort FAQStudents and College, A Stressful Time of Life: Parents and Students BewareSymptoms of Depressive DisordersThe Biochemical - Psychosexual Revolution: Getting Up and Close while Being Down and OutThe Existential Crisis, Depression, Anxiety and MortalityThe Liberating and Entangling Webs of Technology, Depression and ProzacThe Long Term Effects of BullyingTop Twelve Tips for Beating (Mostly) Moderate Chronic Clinical DepressionTreatmentTreatment 1 of 2Treatment 2 of 2Unmasking Mental IllnessWebsitesWhat about the "milder" depression: Dysthymic disorder?Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 2Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: What We Can Learn From a Wartime ExperienceWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with James Gordon MD on Mind Body Medicine and His Book 'Unstuck'Wise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with with Ronald Dworkin, MD, Ph.D. on Artificial Happiness Tests Goldberg Depression Questionnaire Latest News Phone Care Can Help Combat Post-Heart Surgery DepressionClinical Trials Update: Nov. 16, 2009Depression Linked to Immune Response in PregnancyClinical Trials Update: Nov. 12, 2009Health Tip: Symptoms of Postpartum DepressionBrain Stimulation May Ease Treatment-Resistant DepressionClinical Trials Update: Nov. 9, 2009Adjunctive Psychotherapy for Depression StudiedDepression May Blur Memory of Aches and PainsCognitive Behavioral Therapy Helps Overcome Winter BluesPsychotherapy Beats Light Treatment for SADPhone Counseling for Depression Rings With PromiseDepression Often Goes Untreated in Working MomsConstant Light Linked to Symptoms of DepressionOmega-3 Augmentation of Antidepressant EvaluatedSuicidal Thoughts May Vary by AntidepressantImpact of Maternal Depression and Abuse on Children StudiedRecession Adds to Ranks of Americans With DepressionDepression, Anxiety May Raise Odds of ObesityTelephone Care and Therapy Help to Treat DepressionMother's Use of Antidepressant May Carry Risks for NewbornTroubled Minds Can Mean Wider WaistlinesTeens With ADHD, Depression Risk Internet AddictionAntidepressants May Be Linked to Birth ProblemsMediterranean Diet May Help Prevent DepressionAntidepressants Linked to Heart Defects in NewbornsPredicting Postpartum Depression May Be PossibleDrinking, Weight, Depression Linked in Young Women: StudyHealth Care Assistants May Be Useful in Depression CareDepression May Hasten Cancer DeathStudies Explore Genetic Factors Underlying DepressionSevere, Lasting Depression Tied to Heart Patient DeathsDepressed Teens Continue to Suffer into AdulthoodReport Addresses Depression Management in PregnancyDepression's Effect on Pleasure Is RealForeclosures Plunge People Into DepressionSuicide Risk With Antidepressants Falls With AgeCombo Treatment May Ease Depression After StrokeAntidepressant Use in U.S. Has Almost DoubledCan Children Headed for Teen Depression Be Spotted Early?Primary Care Identification of Depression ExaminedGloomy Days Dim Cognitive Powers of the DepressedDepression Poses Pregnancy RisksDepression, Anxiety Bad for the HeartStudy Refutes Depression Gene FindingDrug May Stem Slide Into Alzheimer's for SomeEffects of Depression on Families Need to Be AddressedIf Mom or Dad Is Depressed, Kids Need Help TooEarly Bedtime May Help Stave Off Teen DepressionNew Program May Help Teens at High Risk for Depression Questions and Answers Help Me Please. What is Going On With Me?I'm Afraid I'm Going CrazyI Don't Know What To DoAm I Wallowing in Depression?AngerSexual Abuse and Its Effects on Relationships AfterwardsWhat Is Wrong with Me, Doc? HelpDBSAm I Suffering a Kind of Psychological Problem? Blog Entries Depression, ADHD, Psychotherapy and MedicationKeeping You Sane: Do You Need a Day Out? Exploring the Upside of ADHDHow to Gain Control of Your Mind, Instead of Your Mind Controlling YouWhat You Need to Know about H1N1 and DepressionMindfulness and ADHD: A Tip from Dr. Lidia ZylowskaFreedom from Your Anxious MindThe Existential Crisis, Depression, Anxiety and MortalityADHD - Breaking the Cycle of ShameFeeling Good, It's Not Just In the BrainAre You Wired to Worry? Children, ADHD and Stimulant MedicationNational Depression Screening Day, Thursday October 8, 2009Mental Health: Our Troubled TeenagersDepression and Its MeaningsTeenage Depression and Consequences5 Steps to Emotional Freedom: Placebo or Panacea?Couples Therapy for Robert and Julia (Romeo and Juliet)New Research: Mindfulness-Based Program as Effective as Antidepressant MedicationAnxiety as a Defense Against Depression: Part 7Students and College, A Stressful Time of Life: Parents and Students BewareAnxiety as a Defense Against Depression: Part 6Brain Neuroplasticity and Treatment Resistant DepressionWhy People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 5Feeling Stuck? 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Neuroplasticity

The brain has a marvelous ability to sense and to respond to its environment. "Neuroplasticity" refers to our brain's flexible ability to grow and assume new shapes, and thereby enable memory and learning. For example, neurons can adjust their responsiveness, literally growing new synapses and strengthening existing synapses, depending on the sorts of stimulation they receive. In addition, neurons can be "reprogrammed" in response to various situations. For example, axons (extensions of neuron cell bodies that project from one location to another) from one area of the brain can be rerouted to enable functioning in a damaged part of the brain after a stroke has occurred.

An important aspect of neuroplasticity involves the monitoring of neurotransmitter activities. Specific receptors help neurons sense the environment and turn the genes which cause production of neurotransmitters and their receptors on or off. For example, if an individual has just experienced a stressful situation, the brain senses the rise in stress level and may turn off or turn down the genes that make neurotransmitter receptors. When fewer receptors are available, messages sent across synapses are received more slowly or with less sensitivity. If the receptors that have been downgraded or upgraded are also involved in regulating mood, then receptor up and downgrading will have an effect on mood.

Until recently, it was thought the brain did not make new neurons to replace ones that were destroyed, and that the adult brain had all of the neurons it would ever produce. This view has turned out to be inaccurate, however. We now know that we are constantly throughout our lives generating new neurons and neuronal pathways within certain areas of the brain involved in memory and emotion. In addition, research suggests that antidepressant medications and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) seem to increase the growth of new neurons in these key brain areas. In contrast, chronic stress seems to decrease cell growth in these areas. Based on this evidence, we can conclude that a decreased number of neurons in the emotional centers of the brain can lead to slower reactivity and depressive symptoms.

The neurotransmitter traffic and neuroplastic activity in the brain and nervous system is constant and complicated. Ongoing research continues to work towards finding definite causes for depression, developing diagnostic tests, and better treatments based on these key brain systems.

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Endocrinology

Neurotransmitters are not the only important chemical messengers in the body. The body also uses hormones as chemical messengers. Produced in the endocrine system, hormones circulate from one organ to another by way of the bloodstream. Receiving organs in the body interpret hormonal signals (just as receiving neurons in the brain interpret neurotransmitter signals) and respond to their messages.

The endocrine and nervous systems are linked by the hypothalamus (a centrally located 'switching station' within the brain). The hypothalamus is an exceptionally complex brain region, which controls many different body functions such as blood pressure, appetite, immune responses, body temperature, maternal behavior, and body rhythms pertaining to circadian and seasonal rhythms.

The term Circadian Rhythm refers to the 24-hour cycle of the body, which is determined by the amount of light that the hypothalamus senses in a day-night cycle. Both brain wave activity and hormone production are coupled to this cycle, and when the circadian rhythm is disturbed, mood disturbances can also result. Similar to circadian rhythms, seasonal rhythms are determined by the amount of daylight within a given season, and can also impact mood. As mentioned previously, individuals with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) begin to feel increasingly depressed as the amount of light disappears in the winter. In contrast, these individuals experience a lift in mood as springtime (and more light) approaches. During other times of the year, people with SAD experience "normal" mental health.

The hypothalamus is also responsible for releasing stress hormones. When the brain assesses a potential threat, it produces a variety of hormones that help a person react to the situation. Many studies show that depressed individuals have increased levels of stress hormones. In addition to the hypothalamus, other endocrine organs such as the thyroid, adrenal glands, the ovaries and testes have been linked to depression. The thyroid gland, which is located in the neck, produces thyroid hormone. As mentioned previously, depression is frequently associated with low levels of thyroid hormone (or hypothyroidism), and mood elevation is often associated with high levels of thyroid hormone (or hyperthyroidism). Treating hypothyroidism by supplementing or replacing thyroid hormone in the form of Synthroid may sometimes alleviate depression.

The adrenal glands, located near the kidneys, produce hormones that are involved in metabolism, immune function, and the stress response. The main hormone of the adrenal glands, cortisol, is higher in depressed individuals. The ovaries, which produce estrogen, are thought to be one of the main reasons why women run a higher risk of developing depression than men. Decreased levels of estrogen can alter the activity of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which can then lead to depression. At times in women's lives when estrogen levels are lower than usual, such as during the premenstrual phase, following the birth of a baby (postpartum period), or around the time of menopause, an increased tendency or vulnerability towards depression is common.

Testosterone, a hormone produced by the testes in males, may also be linked to depression. A decrease in testosterone after the age of 50 is well documented, and may possibly be one of the reasons that men of this age become more prone to depression. Unlike the link between decreasing estrogen and depression, the relationship between testosterone and depression is not as clear. Researchers are still trying to determine if there is a reliable link between testosterone and depressive symptoms.

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Thank you!

depression - john heath - Aug 18th 2007
can you use low dosage stablon an ssra with lexapro anssri will it work thank you yours sincerely john heath

- - Aug 13th 2007
If serotonin and dopamine and the other drug help those of us with depression, what medication has all 3?  Wouldn't that resolve a lot of the depressive episodes?