Researchers May Have Found The “physical Source ” That Causes Depression

Scientific advances may have found the physical source that causes depression in the brain.

The discovery may give rise to theories that change the treatment and perception of mental illness. This would be a big step in understanding the physical cause of depression.

The University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and the University of Fudan in China have shown that depression affects the orbital frontal cortex.

This part of the brain is activated when one suffers punishment or when it does not receive rewards. Because of this, it is believed that depression can be associated with the feeling that a person gets when they are not rewarded.

An important study to combat depression

Professor Feng, author of the study, said:

“At least one in ten people suffers from depression during their lifetime. Depression is a disease that is so common in modern society that we can even find traces of Prozac (an antidepressant) in tap water in London ”.

“Our discovery, with the combination of a lot of data around the world and our new methods, allows us to find the source of what causes depression.

This should open up new avenues for better therapeutic treatments in the near future, and therefore we can treat this terrible disease ”.

The results of the study on what causes depression

Researchers came to important conclusions after scanning the brains of 909 people in China using high-precision MRI.

This technique showed the activity of the connections between the different parts of the human brain that are affected by depression. This would be it.

The cortex, associated with lack of rewards, showed stronger connectivity in the depressed group of individuals.

The findings on how depression is related to varying functional connections of the orbitofrontal cortex will be of great benefit during treatment.

Sources of depression

This important study has shown that this part of the brain, the orbitofrontal cortex, is activated when a person suffers severe punishment or when a desired reward is not received.

Because of this, experts believe that depression may be associated with these perceptions.

The discovery may enable us to try new ways of treating and experiencing this mental condition. So early on, this provides important steps to understand the physical cause of depression.

Factors affecting depression

There is one thing that causes depression. In fact, some people are more likely to have depression than others.

Therefore, there are various reasons that try to explain this predisposition:

Genetic and biochemical factors that cause depression

• Heredity. There is a high risk of suffering from clinical depression when there is a family history of the disease. Because of this, there is a biological predisposition.
• Biochemical factors. In addition, studies show that brain biochemistry plays a very important role in depression. People with major depression tend to have an imbalance between certain chemical substances in the brain, known as neurotransmitters.
• It is also true that sleep patterns tend to be different in people with depression.
• Finally, certain medications can cause or relieve depression, and some hormones can change emotional states.

Environmental factors

• In addition, situations such as the death of a close family member or friend may be the cause. A chronic illness, interpersonal problems, financial problems, a divorce, etc. can also cause depression.
• All of the above can cause episodes of depression. If it is  maintained over a period of time, it can end up in clinical depression.
• Seasonal Depression (SAD). Because of this, there are people who develop depression during the winter months when the days are shorter.
• It may be that a reduction in hours of light affects the balance between certain chemical compounds in the brain. This can cause depression in some people.

• Personality. People who have negative mental images, low self-esteem, the feeling of lack of control over the conditions in life, and a tendency to worry too much, are more likely to suffer from depression. It seems that a pattern of negative thoughts tends to establish itself in childhood or adolescence. After a while, this results in a depressed personality.

If you or a loved one is suffering from depression, do not hesitate to get some help. It’s the best way to heal and feel good again!