Does Depression Shrink Your Brain? James Potash, M.D.--How Do You Move Beyond Blue?
Friday April 4, 2008
Categories: Depression
For this week's "How Do You Move Beyond Blue?" segment, I have reprinted a fascinating article by James Potash, associate professor of psychiatry and co-director of the Mood Disorders Program (where I graduated with the help of Dr. Smith)...
Filed Under: antidepressants, Beyond Blue, brain, depression, depression blog, hippocampus, How Do You Move Beyond Blue, James Potash, neurobiology, psychiatric treatment, Therese Borchard
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This gives a whole new meaning to the "shrinkage" episode of Seinfeld ...
Just fascinating. I stop by to say hi and you have this great interview. Well done, Therese.
I mean article.
The whole topic of brain regenerization is crucial to those of us who've suffered brain cell loss due to stroke or other brain traumas as well (Though not in the hippocamus) since most medical professionals believe the 'aswer" is in growing new dendrites to create different pathways to "detour" round the damaged cells which can no longer function properly and then train these new connections to do the job previously done by the "dead" cells" That's exactly why so many of us are pro "stem cell research and therapy" (although not necessarily using the stem cells from aborted or "frozen" embryos. If MRI's can now prove shruinkage/growth in the hippocamus, can the same for other areas of the brain be far away?(PLEASE G-d!) Sorry to sound so egocentric, but that issue holds more interest for me than jump-starting my hippocamus does. What a wonderful world it would be if a medication could be prescribed that would encourage that kind of new brain cell growth? Think of children born with paralysis who could maybe walk or throw a ball for the first time! (Or old fa**ts like me who could resume daily living activities for ourselves! Yes, I realize it would mean popping yet another pill, but I DARE someoneto criticize medication for that purpose! As with depression, if you haven't lived it you can't possibly relate, but unlike depression, it IS at least recognized as a legitimate health issue so the anti-pharacuetical people would have a real WAR on their hands for fightoing that o.
Margaret...what about the effects of lithium on BDNF?
MARGARET, WELL SAID. THANK YOU
THERESA, THE ARTICLE IS VERY INTERESTING. I NOT MUCH ON MEDICINE. I DO TAKE NERVE PILLS, CAN''T BRING MYSELF TO TAKE CYMBALTA??? I HAVE A COUPLE OF COCKTAILS A DAY LAST BETWEEN 1:00 - 10:00. MAYBE BE WATERED DOWN BY THEN, BUT I THINK IT IS GOOD. SOMETHING HAS TO CALM. SLOWLY, BUT SURELY. WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE ARTICLE.
Nancy:
Are you saying I'm like that general in Vietnam -- destroying my brain in order to save it?
I'm so glad when I see findings like these being talked about!
It's so important because these types of findings can go a long way to reducing the stigma many folks feel when deciding about their own or their family's health care.
It sounds simple but I bet it sure packs a punch if you hear a doctor tell you that's it's not just about unfamiliar chemicals you know from nothing bouncing around in your brain but the very physical structure of your brain that's at stake. An ounce of prevention, perhaps? Or at least another tick for the 'it's a real illness' campaign.
Catatonic Kid
http://catatonickid.wordpress.com
Good grief! Now I am "The incredible shrinking brain!" Well I would like to know more about lithium. I think that would be in my comfort zone. Also does it have the same effect on the "bi-polar express"? I'm all about the first do no harm, and not to mention a whopping white coat phobia! Can anyone address that?
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