Depression is a physical illness which could be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, scientists sug

[hinterland]

Depression is a physical illness which could be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, scientists suggest

 

[ChrisD]

I hope that people don't draw parallels between this article and the recent ''CFS is a real inflammatory illness' and then conclude that they are the same thing

 

[Hip]

Other mental health conditions such as bipolar, OCD and schizophrenia have also been linked to brain inflammation. I am glad to see that mental health conditions are increasing been seen as physical diseases in the brain, rather that psychogenic conditions.

 

[mhrps]

Actually there are a few concepts of depression - mitochondrial, inflammatory, oxidative, and neurotransmitter imbalance.

 

[ebethc]

Other mental health conditions such as bipolar, OCD and schizophrenia have also been linked to brain inflammation. I am glad to see that mental health conditions are increasing been seen as physical diseases in the brain, rather that psychogenic conditions.

I think there's some traction w schizophrenia being seen as an immune disorder... since the discovery of the glymphatic system (the brain's lymphatic system), there have been additional studies connecting problems in the glymphatic system w schizophrenia... hopefully, some help is on the way for the sufferers

 

[IThinkImTurningJapanese]

I hope that people don't draw parallels between this article and the recent ''CFS is a real inflammatory illness' and then conclude that they are the same thing

People are most likely to think what they are most comfortable thinking.

We are living the uncomfortable truth.

 

[PracticingAcceptance]

It's probably all more linked up than we can fathom at this point.

I have experienced depression in the past, with good reason - long term emotional abuse from family, and multiple experiences of sexual abuse from boyfriends and strangers. I'm not sure if I would have experienced depression without all that. It surely isn't as simple as an inflammatory problem?

CFS and depression are certainly not the same. I'd know! I wonder if developing our understanding of the inter-connectedness of things will help scientists find new links and patterns. I hope so.

 

[mhrps]

It's probably all more linked up than we can fathom at this point.

I have experienced depression in the past, with good reason - long term emotional abuse from family, and multiple experiences of sexual abuse from boyfriends and strangers. I'm not sure if I would have experienced depression without all that. It surely isn't as simple as an inflammatory problem?

In your case it could be the oxidative stress factor.

 

[Hip]

It surely isn't as simple as an inflammatory problem?

We all know that depression can be caused by life events; but it is possible that may be different from the depression that is caused by underlying physical abnormalities of the brain, abnormalities such as neuroinflammation.

Or it may be that people who experience depression from life events may be predisposed to doing so, by having latent abnormalities of the brain that manifest into depression in times of adverse life events.

 

[hinterland]

We all know that depression can be caused by life events; but it is possible that may be different from the depression that is caused by underlying physical abnormalities of the brain, abnormalities such as neuroinflammation.

Or it may be that people who experience depression from life events may be predisposed to doing so, by having latent abnormalities of the brain that manifest into depression in times of adverse life events.

I think the article also references the claim that trauma/ psychological distress can trigger immune activation. Which, if you accept, means the depression is driven by inflammation hypothesis holds up whether attributed to biological factors like infection, or psychological. This all makes it quite complicated figuring out what is going on and where it is most efficacious to intervene, but trials of anti-inflammatory agents seem reasonable.

I thought the article was an interesting read but muddled in places. I'm not sure that chest pain due to anxiety (panic attack?) involves the immune system, rather the ANS. At one point I thought the author was going suggest it possible to manifest fatal levels of TNF, just by having bad thoughts.