This document discusses depression as a disease. It lists common symptoms of depression such as loss of interest and feelings of worthlessness. It then discusses several biological factors that can contribute to depression, including genes, brain structures like the amygdala and hippocampus, and hormones like serotonin, testosterone and estrogen. The document argues that depression is caused by both genetic and biological factors changing the brain and body, not just a disorder, and therefore it should be considered a disease and treated as such with more importance.

1. Disease or Disorder

2.  Loss of interest in hobbies
 Feeling worthless
 Fatigue
 Inability to sleep or excess sleep
 Isolation from family & friends
 Thoughts of suicide
 Unable to perform daily activities

3.  121 million people are affected by depression
 80% of depressed patients are not being treated
 Depression increases by 20% each year

4.  A condition of the living animal or plant
body or of one of its parts that impairs
normal functioning and is typically
manifested by distinguishing signs and
symptoms

5.  is a pattern of behavioral or psychological
symptoms that impact multiple life areas
and/or create distress for the person
experiencing these symptoms

6.  Genes are responsible for biological
processes
 If a gene is damaged then
predisposition to depression is higher
than normal
 Mood imbalances are more likely with
damaged genes
 A mixture of genes are responsible for
depression not one specific gene

7.  Chromosome 3p25-26 linked to over 800
families with a history of depression
 Families who have this gene had two or
more offspring that suffered from
depression
 This research proves that depression can be
hereditary
 Genetic testing in the future will be
available to see if a person is predisposed by
hereditary genes

8.  5-HTT aka serotonin-gene transporter
 Relays signals to the brain for mood,
appetite and sleep
 A child receives one gene from each parent
 If one gene is short then a 33% increase in
depression
 If both genes were normal then there was
only a 17% chance of depression
 Serotonin receptors are less in the
hippocampus of the brain than a normal
person

9.  The limbic system of
the brain contains the
amygdale &
hippocampus
 Controls emotions,
behavior, and memory

10.  The amygdale is responsible for how a
person feels during a specific situation
 Recollection of this situation increases
activity in the amygdale
 As depression worsens so does the activity in
the amygdale
 Antidepressants can help control the activity
in the amygdale
 In remission, patients who have higher
activity are at higher risk for relapse

11.  Memory bank and recollection of memories
 Outside factor triggers negative memory
causing the onset of depression
 This can be continuous, this is called
recurring depression
 Depressed women have a 13% smaller
hippocampus
 Research implies that the hippocampus is
smaller because stress damages the growth
of nerve cells

12.  Antidepressants will stimulant growth of
nerve cells and promote branching of nerve
cells
 The process starts immediately, but takes
weeks to months before the patient starts
feeling better

13.  PET Scans show different functions of brain
activity
 Doctors are able to tell what treatment a
patient benefits from more
 Two types of treatment, antidepressants or
cognitive behavioral therapy
 Treatment was decided upon by activity in
the insula
 The insula is responsible for heart rate,
temperature, and pain

14.  Therapy decreased activity in the insula
 Patients were able to change thought
processes to be positive
 Were able to change their outlook without
medication
 Antidepressants increased activity in the
insula
 Patients were more focused on internal
thoughts and could not control them
 Medication helped balance out hormones
and slow down thought processes

15.  The thyroid controls metabolism
 Hypothyroidism happens when the thyroid is
underperforming
 Diagnosed with a blood test
 Disrupts behavioral and emotional processes
 Patients have a somber mood
 Thyroid medication can balance out
hormones

16.  Hyperthyroidism over produces hormones
and energy is burned too fast
 A patient will feel irritable, nervous, and
suffer from sleep deprivation
 Suffering from these symptoms will worsen
depression
 Medication can help lower hormone levels
 Sometimes surgery to remove apart of the
thyroid is necessary to control hormone
levels

17.  If a man has depression, testosterone levels
can automatically reduce
 Medication to raise these levels reduce
depression symptoms
 Testosterone medication may be more
effective instead of taking antidepressants
 Men who took both medications were less
anxious and happier
 Men who only took antidepressants remained
the same and seen no change

18.  Low estrogen levels cause lowered mood and
thought processes
 Estrogen controls a woman’s mood, even
inside the brain
 Estrogen changes after giving birth,
postpartum depression
 Estrogen changes before menopause
 Estrogen replacements are available to
balance out hormone levels

19.  Dr. Grohol states that even though the brain
is an organ that there is not enough research
 There is activity in the brain, but this could
be from any task being done
 There is not one thing that causes
depression and with a disease there is only
one culprit

20.  What depression is called matters
 When a name is given to something, that is how
a person feels and interprets how they feel
about that specific thing
 When a name is given that person will react to
treatment options and severity of what they
have been diagnosed with
 Disease is caused from structural changes within
the body
 Disorder is the inability to function day to day,
without changes in the body
 Depression changes the brain, hormones, and
genetic makeup; therefore, it is a disease

21.  Depression should be treated with more
importance
 Future studies will:
 Show what parts of the brain are
deteriorating due to depression
 Determine what genes and chromosomes
that are affected by depression
 Find more hormones that predispose a
patient to depression
 Provide better specialized treatments for
depressive patients