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Understanding Serotonin Depression

By Tess Thompson

All discussions on depression must necessarily mention that there is a vast difference between transient moods of sadness and sorrow and clinical depression. Clinical depression is a prolonged state marked by symptoms like depressed mood for all day long, diminished interest in pleasure, insomnia or hypersomnia, feelings of worthlessness and/or recurrent thoughts of death or suicide along with other symptoms.

Psychologists believe that at least five such symptoms need to be continually present and must be severe enough to hamper work for the condition to be classified as a clinical depression.

Despite depression and bipolar disorder (a state of depression characterized by frequent mood swings) being common occurrences, the actual basis of depression is not known.

It is generally accepted that depression is influenced by genetic, environmental and neurobiological factors. In this article we will discuss the neurobiology of depression in as far as it relates to serotonin.

Neural activity that occurs in the brain is affected by neurotransmitters and hormones. There is now strong evidence available through research, that mood swings are caused by interruption in the normal activity of the serotonin producing system and Limbic Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (LHPA).

The end product of LHPA is glucocorticoid (commonly known as stress hormone) interacts with Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT (synthesized in the Central Nervous System and enteroendocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract) during conditions of chronic and severe stress to reduce anxiety.

There are many components of the 5-HT system but two serotonin molecules, namely serotonin 1a (5-HT 1a) receptor and serotonin 2a receptor (5-HT 2a) are closely linked to the neurobiology of moods. The basis of the deduction is provided by the prevalence of fewer 5-HT 1a receptors in the hippocampus of suicide victims with a history of depression.

Studies done among identical twins, reveal a strong relation between stress and depression. Although stress does not actually cause depression on its own, it is likely to interact with an existing genetic predisposition that makes a particular person more susceptible to depression.

Chronic or acute stress due to serious physical illness or emotional distress due to the death of a loved one may cause similar disturbances in the serotonin balance in vulnerable people and trigger episodes of depression.

However, the solution to depression is not as simple as administering serotonin artificially. It is already a point of debate about the level of serotonin that is ideal for an individual. This level can vary between two individuals making it further complicated to understand how much serotonin is too low or too much.

Despite all the knowledge that is backed by solid research, many mysteries of the brain remain unsolved. Our understanding of brain chemistry leaves a lot to be desired. And the complex system needs to be explored much further.

References:
http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/behavior/depressn_5/
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/plos-wsc020108.php
http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/38/9/48
http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=1694
http://ezinearticles.com/

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