Genes, Stress, Depression and Atrophy Knowing, at a biological level, that a big part of the problem is […]
neuroprotection
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.