A new study which has been carried out by researchers at Yale University claims that problems with mental and emotional health can actually have an effect on the physical wellness of the brain. The study looked at the link between depression and stress and brain volume, and seemed to conclude that those who suffer from stress and depression could actually suffer from a decrease in brain volume (or, to put it another way, find that their brain shrinks). This can lead to cognitive and emotional impairments.
Scientists believe that the reason for this brain shrinkage is a genetic switch, which causes the stress and depression, and the subsequent loss of volume in the prefrontal cortex. This genetic switch is also called the transcription factor.
The idea being tested in the study was that stress can cause a loss of brain synapses in the human body. As part of the study, the team looked the brains of deceased patients who had suffered from depression and those who had not suffered from depression during their lifetimes (brains were donated by a brain bank). The scientist found that the brains of depressed patients looked different to the brains of those without depression, in that those with depression had lower levels of the genes required for formation and structure of the brain.
The lead of the study explains that the whole thing could be down to a transcription factor known as GATA1. In rodents, this activation led to the rodents displaying depressive symptoms.
Scientists hope that the discovery will lead to an ability to develop more efficient anti-depressants to help those suffering from depression. This could be in the form of enhancing synaptic connections with new drugs.
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