Final: Antidepressants Flashcards
Diagnosis of depression
5 symptoms for two weeks
main ones: depressed mood, loss of interest/pleasure
Sleeping Difficulties Change in Activity Level Change in Appetite Loss of Energy Negative Self-Concept Difficulty Concentrating Indecisiveness Thoughts of Death Suicidal Ideation
highest heritability mood disorder
bipolar
What explains identical twins not both having same disorder?
Epigenetics: different interpretations of fixed template (genetic code) different read outs dependent upon the variable conditions under which template is interrogated.
Experiment: mama rat and the agouti gene
Makes rat obese and yellow with cancer/diabetes
BUT, diet high in methyl groups silence expression in offspring
Methylation
reduce gene expression
Packs DNA closer together
Acetylation
unravels DNA so increases expression
Chromatin
DNA + Histone proteins that the DNA winds around
Epigenetics
environmental factors that determine if genes expressed
i.e. Diet, drugs, stressors, parental neglect
HPA axis
elevated cortisol
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis
Reduced thyroid hormones
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis
Reduced estrogen/testosterone
Pineal Gland
Elevated melatonin during daytime
HPA axis in detail
Hypothalamus: CRH
Pituitary: ACTH
Adrenal: Glucocorticoid (Cortisol)
Negative feedback back to hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal, activates hippocampus, which also inhibits hypothalamus
Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH)
41-Amino Acid Peptide
Hormone Regulating ACTH Release from Anterior Pituitary
Neurotransmitter Released in Anxiety Circuits Within Brain
Baseline cortisol in depression
Cortisol should be high in morning, low at night
But elevated in depression, and levels off (flat rhythm)
Dexamethasone Suppression Test Reveals Impaired Negative Feedback
DEX: synthetic control
MDD/early life stress can’t suppress cortisol, thought that early life stress leads to abnormal axis functioning which brings on elevated cortisol levels and disorder vulnerability.
Depression and REM sleep
rem is active sleep
Depression = REM early. More REM early in the night than later.
REM pattern is intermittent
Depression and sleep patterns
Poor Sleep Difficulty Getting to Sleep Increased Awakening Decreased Sleep Time
Decreased REM Latency Increased Early REM Decreased Late REM
Evidence for the monoamine theory of depression
1) Respirine depletes monoamines/induces depression
2) 5-HIAA levels in CSF reported low in some dpressed patients
3) Failure to suppress cortisol release may be related to deficiency of hypothalamic monoamines (NE)
4) Short alleles for serotonin linked to depression
5) Antidepressants increase synaptic monoamines
Reserpine
depletes monoamines
Inhibits vesiclularization of monoamines
Free monoamines degraded by MAO
Depletes brain of monoamines
precipitates depression
5-HIAA
last metabolite in serotonin degradation
low = more likely to be depressed
serotonin –MAO–> intermediate –aldehyde dehydrogenase–> 5-HIAA
Long and short alleles for SERT genes
Short allele + 3+ life stressors = increase risk of depression
did not hold up in metanalysis
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
reduce breakdown of monoamines
Tricyclic antidepressants
Reduce reuptake of monoamines
Selective monoamine reuptake inhibitors
reduced selective reuptake of 5-HT, NE
How do antidepressants work?
Treatment –> increase monoamines –> 2-4 weeks later effects start happening (not sure the mechanisms, not sure how, we got theories)
Depression does ____ to BDNF and friends?
Lower BDNF
Raise Glucocorticoid levels
Antidepressants do what to BDNF?
Increase BDNF and 5-HT and NE
What does BDNF do?
Stimulates dendrite growth
How do antidepressants stimulate dendrite growth?
Increase adenylyl cyclase and cAMP
Then increase pKa, pCREB, and BDNF
Results in Dendritic Sprouting, Neurogenesis, Neuronal Remodeling
BDNF binds to
Trk B for proliferation, survival, plasticity, hippocampal function
Antidepressants in the rat hippocampus and BDNF
5-10 mg/kg amitriptyline/venlafaxine for 21 days
They increase BDNF in rat hippocampus
BDNF:
____ acetylation
____ methylation
increase acetylation
decreases methylation
reduces deacetylation
If you inhibit BDNF, get methylation (gene silencing)
Evidence of hippocampal atrophy and loss in MDD patients
Compared to controls, depression patients had smaller hippocampal volumes
Decreased hippocampal volume may be related to depression
PAPA test for depression reveals
Hippocampal Volume Linked to Severity of Depression and Maternal Support
Acute
achievement of REMISSION
6-12 weeks
(symptom free from illness)