These slides provide the Biochemistry of Depression its signs, symptoms and treatment. Hope its helpful for you.

1. Depression
SEMINAR
PRESENTED BY; ISMA ZULFIQAR
ROLL NO. 84016

2. Contents
 Introduction
 Types
 Symptoms
 Epidemiology
 Causes
 Treatment
 References

3. What is depression?
 Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you
feel, the way you think and how you act.
 While everyone feels sad from time to time, if that occurs most days for more than
two weeks, it could mean that depression is occurring.
 It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a
person’s ability to function at work and at home.

4. Types of depression
 Major depression
 Persistent depression
 Manic depression, or bipolar disorder
 Seasonal depression
 Atypical depression

5. Symptoms of depression
 Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
 Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
 Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
 Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
 Loss of energy or increased fatigue
 Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing).
 Feeling worthless or guilty
 Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
 Thoughts of death or suicide

6. Epidemiology
 While anyone can develop depression, it is widely thought that a family history of
depression is a risk factor for the illness.
 Women are twice as likely as men to have this condition at some point in their lives.
 Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year.
 One in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life.
 Depression can strike at any time, but on average, first appears during the late
teens to mid-20s.

7. Anxiety vs. depression
Many people with anxiety also develop depression and vice versa. Roughly 50% of
people diagnosed with depression with also be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Depression Anxiety
People with depression move slowly,
and their reactions can seem flattened
or dulled.
People with anxiety tend to be more
keyed up, as they struggle to manage
their racing thoughts.
Depressed people who do not have
anxiety are less likely to be fraught
with worry about future events.
Another feature is the presence of fear
about the future in people with
anxiety.

8. Causes of depression
There are many possible causes of depression, including
 faulty mood regulation by the brain
 genetic vulnerability
 stressful life events
 medications
 medical problems

9. The brain's impact on depression
 Researchers believe that, more than brain chemicals nerve cell connections, nerve
cell growth, and the functioning of nerve circuits have a major impact on
depression.
 Still their understanding of the neurological underpinnings
of mood is incomplete.
 Regions that affect mood are amygdala, the thalamus,
and the hippocampus.
 The hippocampus is smaller in some depressed people.

10. Less activity of brain during
depression;

11. Nerve cell
communication
 The ultimate goal is to improve
the brain's ability to regulate
mood.
 Neurotransmitters are deeply
involved in how nerve cells
communicate with one another.

12. Kinds of neurotransmitters:
 i. Acetylcholine
 ii. Serotonin
 iii. Norepinephrine
 iv. Dopamine
 v. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

13. How Is Depression Treated?
 Between 80 percent and 90 percent of people with depression eventually
respond well to treatment.
 Before a treatment, a health professional conduct a diagnostic evaluation,
including an interview or a physical examination.
 In some cases, a blood test might be done to make sure the depression is
not due to a medical condition like a thyroid problem.

14. Medication using Antidepressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
 SSRIs treat depression by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain.
 It block the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin into neurons.
 This makes more serotonin available to improve transmission of messages
between neurons.
 SSRIs are called selective because they mainly affect serotonin, not other
neurotransmitters.

16. Other Treatments
 Psychotherapy
 Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
 Self-help and Coping
 Using vitamin especially vitamin B(B12,B6) and Vitamin D

17. References
 https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-
depression
 https://www.medicinenet.com/depression_overview_pictures_slideshow/art
icle.htm
 https://www.psycom.net/anxiety-depression-difference
 https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-
therapy/about/pac-20393894