Pathophysiology Of Depression Essay

Most theories on the pathophysiology of depression are based on measurement of indirect markers, neuro-imaging techniques, and post-mortem studies. Studies show that depression starts with abnormalities in the areas of the brain that are responsible for reward response, mood regulation, and executive functions. The neuro-imaging and post-mortem studies have indicated morphological changes shown by reductions in grey-matter volume and glial density in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, which receive the most attention regarding depression. Studies also indicate that declines in the function of the hippocampus function could potentially be responsible for the hypercortisolemia seen in depression. Researchers also believe that the mesolimbic dopamine system that consists of the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens play a role in the pathophysiology of depression.
Other causes of depression include the stress response circuits, such as chronic stress and hyperactivity of the HPA axis as well as in recurrence after complete remission. Structural brain abnormalities were found in patients with elevated levels of corticosteroids. The hippocampus is seen to decrease in size in people with
However, the prodromal period, the initial presentation, and form of a depressive illness varies considerably. In most instances, pubertal development rather than age accounts for the relative increase in the occurrence of depression. Neurological conditions, for example, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke increase the risk of depression, which are the diseases that affect older people although evidence suggests that a reduction as one advance in age. Depression worsens with age as it moves from one stage to a more severe one with some medications escalating the