Depression
has become an increasing concern in society. It is often said that my
generation, millennials as we are called, are even more susceptible to
depression. While I have had my low points, the TED talk introduced to me in
class by Dr. Silton, Depression, the
Secret We Share presented by Andrew Solomon was really insightful
concerning the effect depression had on him. It really made the concept of
anhedonia and the issue of decreased vitality more salient for me. The talk by
Dr. Rebecca Silton really hit me as I have loved ones who have suffered from
depression and it seems to be something that is commonly underrated. I know I
did not understand it when I used to think depression was just sadness that a
person could get over when I was young and ignorant. Sometimes psychological
disorders with vague diagnostic criteria and little mechanistic understanding
are given less emphasis than physiological diseases, such as heart disease. If
it’s something psychological, it’s easy for others to say, “Just get over it.” However,
an article in the Scientific American, Treating
Depression Early May Protect the Heart, points out that “heart disease and
depression often go hand in hand” and this probably begins at an early age. The
news article mentions a study that used questionnaires to measure mental health
and depression symptoms while also measuring the diameter of retinal blood
vessels, which could indicate early cardiovascular disease. They came across a
correlation and found that “participates with more symptoms of depression and
anxiety had wider retinal arterioles than others, which could reflect the
quality of blood vessels in their heart and brain” (Rodriguez). In the article,
one of the researchers from Arizona State University does admit that they are
unsure if this relationship is causal but that the symptoms of the
psychological disorders could indicate who is at risk for cardiovascular
disease.
So,
I think this news article emphasizes the importance of identifying those at
risk for depression and treating their depressive symptoms earlier, it can
possibly prevent heart disease in some people. The study "Low positive affect
and reduced PFC activity" done by Dr. Silton, explains the association between
low positive affect and depression. Low positive affect, which is also
associated with anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure), correlated with
increased alpha waves in the left prefrontal cortex. Alpha Waves (8-13 Hz) in
the prefrontal cortex might correlate with the attentional network whose
decreased efficiency may play a role in depression. While the mechanism is
still not completely clear, the study does offer more insight. Dr. Silton’s
findings may be helpful for identifying those at risk for depression so that
the negative symptoms do not keep escalating. Her study looked at individuals
with remitted depression, so they were not currently in a major depressive
episode. Yet, the increase in alpha waves within the prefrontal cortex remained,
indicating that positive affect and negative affect could be “trait-like” and, therefore,
provide significant clues for early identification. This seems to suggest
thinking about depression as a chronic disease rather than something that is
there and then suddenly gone. Something I found interesting between the two
articles was that Dr. Silton’s study distinguishes the characteristics of
anxiety and depression, with low positive affect being distinct to depression
while high negative affect was associated with anxiety, but the studies
mentioned in the articles seemed to clump the symptoms of anxiety and
depression. I think this goes to show that more research and understanding of
brain mechanics for each condition is needed.
The
article from the Scientific American does also cite another study from
Psychosomatic Medicine that states treating the symptoms of the psychological
disorders early may help prevent heart disease. In my opinion, I believe
depression is a very real issue but our understanding of its neurological
mechanism and cause is limited and hazy. I think studies like this one
performed by Dr. Silton and the article in the Scientific American really
demonstrate the importance and urgency of discovering more and treating the debilitating
disorder of depression that affects so many people. While I think improving the
overall quality of life for the people suffering from depression through early
action and detection is enough in itself, adding on the possible prevention of
heart disease by treating depressive symptoms is an added incentive to learn
more about depression, its workings and its effects and how to better treat it.
These correlations exemplify the significance of depression and the importance
of treatment.
References:
Ted Talk by Andrew Solomon
Rodriguez, Tori. “Treating
Depression Early May Protect the Heart.” Scientific
American. 1 May 2015. Web. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/treating-depression-early-may-protect-the-heart/
Rebecca Silton et al. “Low positive
affect and reduced PFC activity”
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