Genes, Stress, Depression and Atrophy Knowing, at a biological level, that a big part of the problem is […]
Category Archive: Brain Tours
Key areas of the brain shrink during depression, post-traumatic stress (PTDS), and bipolar disorder, but the shrinkage can be reversed. Here’s how the brain repairs the emotion and memory centers (the amygdala and hippocampus).
You’ve seen the stress factors (cortisol, CRF), and the trophic factors (BDNF and friends). This chapter slowly assembles […]
Although stress and depression can make brain cells shrink, there’s good news. The brain has built-in neuroprotective chemicals that repair the damage.
Stress causes depression through hormones like cortisol. When these “stress hormones” rise too high for too long, it affects key areas in the brain involved in depression.
In Chapter 6 we saw that severe mood symptoms are associated with hippocampal shrinkage (atrophy). In this chapter, […]
Stress and depression can cause cells to shrink in the brain’s memory and emotion center (the hippocaumps and amygdala). Here’s how.
Testing for the short serotonin transporter allele If you’ve had a rough childhood and long struggle with depression, […]
or Why Are There Shorts and Longs? Warning: This is one of the more difficult chapters. Don’t skip […]
The short arm of the serotonin transporter gene (S/S) doesn’t just increase the risk of depression. It’s involved in anxiety and alcohol abuse as well, and it may predict response to antidepressants.
The short arm of the serotonin transporter gene (S/S) increases the risk of depression by changing the way the brain responds to stress. Here’s how.