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Good news for people suffering from chronic depression! Scientists have not found the molecule which is 'lesser' in depressed people when compared to normal people. Now that they know what's wrong, it isn't long before they figure out drugs and therapies which increase the level of this molecule and hence treat depression better.
The small molecule - miR-1202 - is found only in humans and in other primates are lower in the brains of depressed individual. 'We examined brain tissues from individuals who were depressed and compared them with brain tissues from psychiatrically healthy individuals. We identified that this molecule regulates an important receptor of the neurotransmitter glutamate,' explained Gustavo Turecki, a psychiatrist at Douglas Institute and professor in faculty of medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
The team conducted a number of experiments that showed that antidepressants change the levels of this microRNA. 'In our clinical trials with living depressed individuals treated with citalopram - a commonly prescribed antidepressant - we found lower levels in depressed individuals compared to the non-depressed individuals before treatment,' Turecki added. Clearly, microRNA miR-1202 increased as the treatment worked and individuals no longer felt depressed, researchers added.
'Although antidepressants are clearly effective, there is variability in how individuals respond to antidepressant treatment,' Turecki noted. The discovery may provide 'a potential target for the development of new and more effective antidepressant treatments', he added. The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
What is depression?
The term depression is used to describe a long period of sadness. It can either refer to a person's mood where he or she is feeling sad and dejected or to describe a debilitating mental illness called major depressive disorder. To feel sad during major life crises is normal but major depressive disorder refers to a condition where there is prolonged sadness without any link to life events. It's important to remember that major depressive disorder is an illness and needs to be treated just like other ailments. Depression can affect a person emotionally as well as physically. Common symptoms of depression include unhappiness, loss of interest in activities which were earlier pleasurable, loss of appetite, lack of energy and motivation, difficulty in concentrating, inability to make decisions and sleep problems (mainly insomnia). Chronic, untreated depression can induce suicidal thoughts in people. But it can be treated well with antidepressant drugs if people accept their problem and consider taking treatment. In this section, you'll find articles on common triggers of depression like lack of sleep, hearing loss, migraine and obesity. You can find several options likeexercising, meditation and certain food like yogurt, to prevent stress in your life that can lead to depression. Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of depression.
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