Summary: Despair disrupts the brain’s stress systems, causing bodily health hazards like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, and reducing life expectancy by 7-10 times. The condition triggers brain structure changes, such as a 40 % reduction in subgenual prefrontal cortex volume, and disrupts hormone systems involving CRH, norepinephrine, and cortisol.
Different subtypes of depression, such as melancholic and atypical, show distinct stress responses, suggesting a need for personalized treatments. These findings provide novel avenues for enhancing the outcomes of depressive illnesses by addressing neuroendocrine dysfunction.
Key Facts:
- Due to stress-related changes to the body, depression shortens life expectancy by up to ten years.
- It significantly reduces the volume of the subgenital prefrontal cortex and controls hormone regulation.
- Targeting neuroendocrine dysfunction could lead to personalized treatments.
Source: Genomic Press
A landmark paper by distinguished neuroendocrine psychiatrist Dr. Philip W. Gold, published in , Brain Medicine’s Seymour Reichlin Centenary Festschrift collection, presents a masterful synthesis of how depression fundamentally alters the body’s stress response systems, challenging long-held views of the condition.
The Viewpoint Review, which was published online on November 14, 2024, marks Dr. Gold’s centenary, a pioneering neuroendocrine psychiatrist whose work has had a profound impact on generations of researchers. It is the culmination of Dr. Gold’s groundbreaking work in neuroendocrine psychiatry.
” Depression’s toll reaches beyond mood and thought, extending into physical health risks like coronary artery disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and stroke”, explains Dr. Gold, documenting how these conditions collectively reduce life expectancy by approximately 7 to 10 years in affected individuals.
His analysis uncovers significant changes to brain structure in depressed patients, including a 40 % decrease in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a crucial region for stress response regulation. These structural changes occur alongside disruptions in multiple hormone systems, particularly involving corticotropin-releasing hormone ( CRH) and norepinephrine.
” The combined effects of CRH, norepinephrine, cortisol, and inflammatory pathways help explain why depression often leads to early onset of various illnesses and a shortened lifespan for those affected”, notes Dr. Gold, emphasizing the interconnected nature of these systems.
Dr. Gold’s work draws important distinctions between depression subtypes. Atypical depression exhibits lower CRH secretion and cortisol levels, suggesting that different underlying biological mechanisms necessitate different treatment strategies while melancholy depression exhibits heightened stress system activation.
This understanding opens new therapeutic possibilities. The paper points toward innovative treatments targeting neuroendocrine dysfunction, including CRH antagonists, IRS p53 agonists, and hormone receptor modulators, potentially offering more effective options for managing depressive illness.
Could measuring neuroendocrine markers help determine which patients will respond to particular antidepressants the best? This raises intriguing questions. How might early detection of these hormones help to stop both physical health issues and psychological symptoms?
This article in the Reichlin Festschrift honors both scientists ‘ contributions to improving our understanding of neuroendocrine systems and their impact on human health.
What is the title of the Viewpoint Review’s article,” Does depression cause neuroendocrine dysfunction?” is available on 14 November 2024 in , Brain Medicine, accompanied by a detailed figure mapping the complex interactions between brain structure, neuroendocrine systems, and clinical manifestations in depression.  ,
About this research on longevity and depression
Author: Ma-Li Wong
Source: Genomic Press
Contact: Ma-Li Wong – Genomic Press
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
” Is depression a neuroendocrine disease”? by Philip W. Gold et al. Brain Medicine
