Neurotransmittorer vid depression
The molecular and cellular mechanisms of depression: a focus on reward circuitry
Holtzheimer PE, Mayberg HS. Stuck in a rut: rethinking nedstämdhet and its treatment. Trends Neurosci. ;–9.
ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Drevets WC. Neuroimaging and neuropathological studies of depression: implications for the cognitive-emotional features of mood disorders. Curr Opin Neurobiol. ;–9.
ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Liotti M, Mayberg HS. The role of functional neuroimaging in the neuropsychology of nedstämdhet. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. ;–
ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Nestler EJ, Barrot M, DiLeone RJ, Eisch AJ, Gold SJ, Monteggia LM. Neurobiology of depression. nervcell. ;–
ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Zhu M-Y, Klimek V, Dilley GE, Haycock JW, Stockmeier C, Overholser JC, et al. Elevated levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus in major nedstämdhet. Biol Psychiatry. ;–
ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Drysdale AT, Grosenick L, Downar J, Dunlop K, Mansouri F, Meng Y, et al. Resting-state connectivity biomarkers define neurophysiological subtypes of nedstämdhet. Nat tillsammans med. ;–
ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Czéh B, Fuchs E, Wiborg O, Simon M. Anima
Happy or SAD: The chemistry behind depression
Depression is a serious condition that negatively affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. According to a recent study (Nature, ) more than million people are affected by depression, making it one of the most frequent causes of disability and common disorders that affect humans worldwide.
What causes depression?
During the last decade, increased access to brain imaging technology has allowed neuroscientists and hospital clinicians to view the brain in detail, measure neural activity, and quantify neurotransmitter levels. Such studies have revealed many clues regarding the underlying contributing factors of depression and the pathophysiology of this disease.
Serotonin: the happy neurotransmitter
Various animal models have demonstrated that chronic stress causes low serotonin levels in the brain. In patients, low brain serotonin activity correlates with a higher risk for more violent attempted and successful suicides. Serotonin levels have also been implicated in seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Currently, the most widely prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which include brand
Brain cells use neurotransmitters to send messages to each other
The ultimate goal in treating the biology of depression is to improve the brain's ability to regulate mood. While chemicals called neurotransmitters are not the only important part of the machinery, we need to acknowledge the key role they play. They are deeply involved in how nerve cells communicate with one another. And they are a component of brain function that we can often influence to good ends.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that relay messages from neuron to neuron. An antidepressant medication tends to increase the concentration of these substances in the spaces between neurons (the synapses). In many cases, this shift appears to give the system enough of a nudge so that the brain can do its job better.
How the system works. If you trained a high-powered microscope on a slice of brain tissue, you might be able to see a loosely braided network of neurons that send and receive messages. While every cell in the body has the capacity to send and receive signals, neurons are specially designed for this function. Each neuron has a cell body containing the structures that any cell needs to th