Elaborate on the Topic for Your Critical Review

Running head: PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER 1

PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER 6

Psychiatric Disorder

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Psychiatric disorder

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders found in the world. Current studies indicate that depression may result from genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. People of all ages are susceptible to depression but the elderly are at a high risk than the young. In the brain, depression starts with simple chemical imbalances. Communication within the brain and to and fro the rest of the body is via the chemical transmitter, known as neurotransmitters. The brain limbic system has been a key interest for many researchers as it comes to anxiety, stress and depression. There exists relationship between depression and the functioning of three primary neurotransmitters; serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is associated with the control of many crucial bodily operations such as aggression, sleeping, sexual behavior, mood, and eating. The production of serotonin is in the serotonergic neurons. Some people are likely to suffer depression with a drop in the production of serotonin in the neurons. The resultant mood is one that is more particularly associated with individuals feeling suicidal.

Early studies suggested that an existence of neurotransmitter norepinephrine deficiency in some certain areas of the brain resulted in depression. Recent follow up studies also shows that there is a group of individuals with a depression disorder who exhibit low levels of the chemical norepinephrine. In autopsy studies, it has been shown that in comparison, people who lives have been marred with a recurrence of depressive episodes possess lesser norepinephrinergic neurons unlike those who have not had depressive history. Norepinephrine assist our bodies detect and respond to stressful instances. People who are susceptible to depression have a norepinephrinergic system which does not take care of the effects of stress very efficiently.

Dopamine is another chemical transmitter in the brain associated with depression. The neurotransmitter plays a critical part in controlling our motivation to seek out reward, also the ability to get a sense of pleasure. Low levels of dopamine may partly explain as to why some individuals suffering from depression do not get the same pleasure sense from people are activities that they used to before falling into depression.

Evidence is ever increasing to support the hypothesis that stress and the accompanying depression could involve structural variations in the brain. The resultant changes of depression are known as remodeling. An occurrence of remodeling due to stress can be prevented or even potentially turned back with the correct treatment involving use of antidepressant as well as mood-stabilizing medication (Regiane Joca, 2015). Studies concerning imaging of the brain have depicted that area involved with mood, decision making and memory may have size and functional changes in response to episodes of depression. Animal specimen used in studies has shown that the brain may encounter physical changes when it is not able to effectively handle stress.

Hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex are the three structures that help the brain establish what is stressful and subsequently how to respond to it. Memories of events are stored in the hippocampus which also responds to hormones of stress in the blood. Mental disorders such as depression may cause the weakening and shrinkage of the hippocampus. Production of new neurons is done throughout one’s life and it happens in the dentate gyrus (Anacker, 2016). Recurrence of stress led to slow formation of new neurons by the dentate gyrus and can also cause shrinkage of neurons in the hippocampus.

The prefrontal cortex is an important structure in regulation of emotion, memory and decision making. The same effect of shrinkage may occur to the structure with exposure to depression. Emotional memories are stored in the amygdala. Amygdala becomes highly active in post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive illness. Enlargement of the amygdala is associated repeated stress instances. Abnormal activity in the brain along with hyperactive amygdala causes disrupted sleep patterns and physical activity (Singhal, 2015). It can also lead to abnormal production of hormones as well as other chemicals which could affect many bodily systems.

Cortisol is a stress hormone that plays an important part in remodeling of brain cells in response to stress. Depression causes a surge in the levels of cortisol in the blood. High levels of the hormone is a symptom of Cushing’s disease which is primarily a disorder associated with the endocrine system.

Depression is a complex kind of a disorder affecting different people in varying manner. Depression is associated with development of anxiety and stress. It is evidenced through different observable features in people. The output of depression could be behavioral, about feeling, thoughts or physical. Control of stress in people is primarily a duty handled in the brain managed by chemical hormones. The brain detects depression through variation of the associated chemicals and triggers a response which is aimed at managing or containing the situation. Repeated episodes of depression could cause structural or anatomical changes in our bodies. Some structures are weaken and reduced in size while others are enlarged. Different people however handle their situations in unique ways and are affected in specific ways unlike others. Studies in depression are still growing with time.

References

Anacker, C. S.-G. (2016). Neuroanatomic differences associated with stress susceptibility and resilience. Biological psychiatry, 79(10), 840-849.

Regiane Joca, S. A. (2015). Atypical Neurotransmitters and the Neurobiology of Depression. CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets-CNS & Neurological Disorders), 14(8), 1001-1011.

Singhal, G. J. (2015). Inflammasomes in neuroinflammation and changes in brain function: a focused review. Neuroinflammation and Behaviour, 51.