New mechanisms and areas of the brain associated with anxiety and
depression, presenting possible targets to understand and treat these
debilitating mental illnesses were revealed by new research. The
findings were presented at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the
Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news
about brain science and health.
More than 350 million people worldwide suffer from clinical depression
and between 5 and 25 percent of adults suffer from generalized anxiety,
according to the World Health Organization. The resulting emotional and
financial costs to people, families, and society are significant.
Further, antidepressants are not always effective and often cause severe
side effects.
Today's new findings show that:
- A molecule in the immune system
may contribute to depression, suggesting a potential biomarker for the
disease (Georgia Hodes, PhD, abstract 542.1, see attached summary).
- Decreasing
a chemical signal in the amygdala, a brain area associated with
emotional processing, produces antidepressant-like effects in mice (Yann
Mineur, PhD, abstract 504, see attached summary).
- MicroRNAs,
tiny molecules that alter gene expression, correlate with how mice
respond to socially stressful situations that cause depressive-like
behavior. The findings may help determine why some people are more
likely to suffer from depression than others (Karen Scott, PhD, abstract
731.2, see attached summary).
Other recent findings discussed show that:
- A pathway between two
brain regions, the amygdala and the hippocampus, plays a significant
role in anxiety. Shutting down this connection can decrease anxiety-like
behavior in mice (Ada Felix-Ortiz, MS, presentation 393.01, see
attached speaker summary).
- Aversive experiences can change how
humans, particularly those with anxiety disorders, perceive stimuli.
After a severe negative incident, patients with anxiety disorders
over-generalize the experience and have increased emotional responses
to subsequent similar situations (Rony Paz, PhD, presentation 295.05,
see attached speaker summary).
"Today's findings represent our rapidly growing understanding of the
individual molecules and brain circuits that may contribute to
depression and anxiety," said press conference moderator Lisa Monteggia,
PhD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, an expert
on mechanisms of antidepressant action. "These exciting discoveries
represent the potential for significant changes in how we diagnose and
treat these illnesses that touch millions."
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