Scientists have believed for decades that the structure of the adult brain is fixed and does not change rapidly, but new research proves the opposite. German scientists have found that treating depressed patients may increase neural connections in the brain.
Brain connectivity - or neural connections - refers to the anatomical connections between parts of the brain, and the interactions between cells and parts within it.
Scientists used to think that the structure of the adult brain is generally fixed and unable to undergo rapid changes, now new work has shown that this is not true.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Münzer in Germany, led by Professor Jonathan Ripple, professor of psychiatry, and its results were presented at the 35th annual conference of the European College of Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience in Vienna, which was held from 15 to 18 October, and Yurik Alert website wrote about it. .
Depressive disorder
Researchers studied the brains of 109 patients with depressive disorder, and compared them with the brains of 55 people without the disease, where they imaged their brains using magnetic resonance imaging to see which parts of the brain communicate with each other to determine the extent of neural connectivity in the brain.
The researchers then treated depressed patients either using electric shocks, or psychological therapy or medications, and sometimes by combining more than one method of treatment, and then they re-imagined their brains and studied their neurological associations after treatment, and they also re-evaluated the symptoms of depression again.
Professor Ripple said they found that the treatment for depression altered the structure of the brain, contrary to all previous expectations, as the patients who received the treatment showed more neuronal connections than they had before starting it.
New connections in the brain
Moreover, patients who responded more to treatment developed greater numbers of new connections in their brains, compared to patients who responded less to treatment.
He added that these changes in the brain occurred during a period of only about 6 weeks, which surprised the researchers, as the response was quick, but these researchers do not have an explanation for how these changes occurred, or the mechanism of their association with different treatment methods.
The result of this study is consistent with the current belief that the brain is flexible and adaptable even during short periods, contrary to the previous belief that the structure of the brain is difficult to change.
The basic idea of treating depression and other mental illnesses is to cause changes in the brain over time. It has been suggested that antidepressants, psychotherapy, and ECT work by causing changes in brain structure, but research studying how to respond to treatment is limited.
This raises the question of whether different treatments can target specific areas of the brain's neural connections to specifically change them, or vice versa, so that the treatments become useful.
It is noteworthy that these observed changes cannot be linked to a specific type of treatment, and the researchers suggested that this matter be the subject of further research.
What is depression?
Depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a mood disorder with a set of symptoms including persistent sadness or a lack of interest in life.
The World Health Organization says that depression is a common disease in the world, as it is estimated that it affects 3.8% of people, 5% of whom are adults and 5.7% of those over the age of 60 years.
About 280 million people suffer from depression in the world. Depression differs from the usual mood swings and fleeting outbursts of everyday challenges. It may turn into a serious health condition, especially if it recurs with moderate or severe severity.
It can lead to severe suffering and affected performance at work, school and family. At worst, it can lead to suicide.
What are the signs of depression?
There are 3 groups of depression symptoms, as follows:
Psychological symptoms of depression
A bad mood or persistent sadness, according to the UK's National Health Service (NHS).
Feeling hopeless and helpless.
Low self-esteem.
Feeling guilty.
Feeling bad and intolerant of others.
Lack of motivation or interest in things.
Difficulty making decisions.
Not having any pleasure from life.
Anxiety.
Having thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Physical symptoms of depression
The person moves or talks more slowly than usual.
Changes in appetite or weight (usually decreased, but sometimes increased).
Constipation.
Unexplained aches and pains.
lack of energy;
Decreased sex drive (loss of libido).
Changes in the menstrual cycle .
Sleep problems, for example, finding it difficult to fall asleep at night or getting up too early in the morning.
Symptoms of social depression
Avoid calling friends and participating in fewer social activities.
Neglecting your hobbies and interests.
Facing difficulties in your home, work or family life.
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