Wellness Wednesday.

What would I do without NPR?  This Wellness Wednesday topic is inspired by a Morning Edition clip I heard while driving to school on Monday.  You can listen to the clip here. 

Depression...one might describe depression as 'being down in the dumps', 'being sad all the time', 'feeling worthless', or 'losing interest in daily activities'.  Another popular description of depression is a 'chemical imbalance'.  That's what all those medications are out there for, right?  Interestingly enough, research has had a difficult time proving that a chemical imbalance is the reason for depression.  It's much more complex than that.  It seems that chemicals do play a role in depression, but it's not as simple as one chemical being too low or high.  For example, many popular antidepressants inhibit the uptake of serotonin, leaving increased concentrations of the neurotransmitter in the brain.  For some, this has mood elevating effects.  So, increase serotonin and people feel better, or less depressed right?  But why do studies show that when they decreased a person's serotonin levels, it did NOT cause depression?  Definitely something to think about.

I think it's cool that scientists and some doctors are starting to challenge the 'chemical imbalance' theory.  More and more research is being done to hopefully determine if there is a major factor at play that causes people to become depressed.  One study I came across studied the size of a structure in the brain called the hippocampus, and it seemed that people who had a smaller hippocampus were more likely to be depressed.  It also went on to describe that ongoing exposure to increased level of stress hormone impairs the growth of nerve cells in this area of the brain.  Interesting stuff, huh? 

Researchers are exploring this possible link between sluggish neuron growth in the hippocampus and decreasing mood.  An interesting fact about antidepressants supports this theory.  Antidepressants immediately increase the level of chemical transmitters in the brain, yet when people start taking an antidepressant they typically don't feel better for a few weeks or even longer.  Experts have long wondered why, if depression were primarily a result of a decreased level of a certain chemical...why wouldn't people immediately feel better as soon as they start taking the medication?

The answer may be that mood only improves as nerves grow and form new connections in the brain (a process that takes several weeks).  So could these medications be promoting this growth?  Cool research continues and maybe we'll see medications that will encourage neurogenesis (new nerve growth) that could possibly help people faster, safer and more effectively than current medications.  I'd also like to propose (which I'm sure I'm not the first) research studying neurogenesis in ways that don't rely on medication.  For example, exercise has been shown to increase neurogenesis - and guess where?  In the hippocampus!!!  Neurogenesis occurs mostly in the early days of our lives, when we are learning how to do things such as walk, talk and ride a bike.  The more we challenge our minds to learn, the more nerve growth and connections we make in our brains.  Cool, right?

Gotta love NPR!