Depression Flashcards
prevalence
10-20% lifetime
12month 2-5%
mean age of onset
27
gender distribution
M:F 1:2
equal out with older age over 55yrs
urban vs rural
more urban
types of depressive episode
mil or moderate +/- somatic syndrome
severe +/- pyschotic symptoms
ICD 10 criteria for dx depression
Major:
- low mood most days most of the time for >2wks
- loss of interest in activities previously found enjoyable
- low energy
Minor:
- loss of confidence, low self esteem
- inappropriate guilt
- thoughts of death or suicide
- poor concentration/indecisive
- psychomotor change
- poor appetite
- sleep problems
what is mild depression
2 major + 2 minor criteria
what is moderate depression?
2 major + 4 minor criteria
what is a severe depressive episode?
3 major + five minor criteria
somatic always present
+/- psychosis
what is somatic syndrome in unipolar depression
four + of the below:
- anhedonia
- lack of reaction to enjoyable events
- early morning waking
- depressed mood with diurnal variation
- psychomotor change
- appetite loss, wt loss
- loss of libido
causes of depression
- genetics
2. structural brain changes
genetics of depression
relatives: 9.1% risk
MZ concordance 40-50%
serotonin transporter gene
Structural brain changes in depression
reduced volume in hippocampus and caudate nuclei
blood flow in brain in depression
altered in
- prefrontal cortex
- anterior cingulate gyrus
- amygdala
- basal ganglia
what is the monoamine theory?
depression due to probs with serotonin, dopamine and NA levels in brain
evidence for serotonin theory?
- decreased tryptophan (serotonin precursor) foundin depressed patients
- tryptophan low diet - depression like syndrome
- antidepressants work on serotonin
- low serotonin and precursors in autopsy depressed patients
- platelet serotonin binding is decreased in depression§
evidence for NA involvement depression?
- depression in people who are given NA depleting agents
evidence for dopamine involvement
- in animals antidepressants increase dopamine
2. dopamine metabolites low in depressed patients
where is dopamine increased with antidepressants?
nucleus accumbens
aside from monoamines/genetics - biological causes of depression?
- endocrine - HPA axis -50% with cushings are depressed + 50% depressed are non suppressed on dexa test
- thyroid - 25% depressed patients have blunted TSH response to TRH