DEPRESSION HAS FOUND A CURE: A Scientific BreakthroughAn alarming rate of suicide cases all throughout the world spun speculations that suicide is no longer “a tragedy of the few” but a global affliction. Scientists have recently discovered a brain protein that could be the answer to the problem of depressio By Christiene [website] from Raleigh, NC on January 29, 2006 Category: Mental Health News ALL ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH: LATEST NEWS AROUND THE WORLD DEPRESSION HAS FOUND A POSSIBLE CURE: A Scientific Breakthrough An alarming rate of suicide cases all throughout the world spun speculations that suicide is no longer “a tragedy of the few” but a global affliction. In Europe, U.S. and Canada, where suicide is higher compared to other parts of the world, medical professionals have determined that the causes may have stemmed from social, family and economic pressures. Sadly, some people simply could not cope. Suicide is depression at its worst. It is the final phase of a miserable condition where a person acknowledges defeat and alienation. The victim tries to ward off the sickening feeling of helplessness or uselessness, but it doesn’t go away. Professional help may intervene, some may recover, but there are those who go crazy while a few, unfortunately, find redemption with a string of cord or a bottle of aspirin. Depression is a social malady that did not receive cognizance in the past because of the stigma attached to it. Nowadays however, societies have realized that the moral ascendancy of their nation depends on the mental and psychological health of its people. Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms for a prolonged time? Seek immediate help from a professional while there is still time for a thorough case analysis and appropriate treatment. Although we all experience depression, at a certain level, it can be fatal. Don’t be afraid nor shy. Tomorrow is too late. Symptoms of Depression
Serotonin and Depression Earlier scientific studies have proven that a chemical protein found in the brain known as serotonin is linked to depression. Serotonin regulates a person’s moods; as its lower levels in the brain, depressive symptoms strike. What causes serotonin level to decrease has baffled science, until only recently. Neuroscientists at Rockefeller University discovered another brain protein named p11. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter – that which relays messages between brain cells. When there is less serotonin in the brain cells, the person gets depressed. The discovery of the brain protein ‘p11’ revealed that this neurotransmission activity of serotonin is dependent on how good it connects with “receptors” or “wharfs” on the surface of brain cells. So far, scientists have discovered fourteen receptors of serotonin in the human brain. One of these receptors that triggered most interest among neuroscientists is the “1B” receptor which seems to be strongly linked to worse depressive conditions. How is 1B linked to p11? p11, as a chemical protein, enhances the growth of more 1B receptors for serotonin to bind itself. When this happens, a person does not experience depressive symptoms. Clinical studies using brain tissues taken from patients who died of depression-related illness, showed decreased levels of p11. Mice were also bred, with their p11 gene removed. The said mice acted depressed, and had less 1B receptors and fewer serotonin activity than regular mice. A batch of mice was also genetically altered to produce extra p11. Amazingly, these mice acted in just the opposite way — depression-like behavior was absent, and their brain cells contained extra serotonin-signaling receptors. Scientists have yet to rule out genetic defects as the root cause of depression but until then, these recent scientific developments will prove useful in the development of new drugs that will directly combat depression and minimize, if not totally eliminate, its occurrence and tragic implications to our lives. |
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