Neurobiology of mood disorders*

Question 1

appetitive

aversive

Answer 1

dopamine

seratonin

Question 2

disordered appetitive functioning

Answer 2

attention/concen difficulty
loss of interest 
avoidance
inactivity, anhedonia, weight change, loss of sexual drive
increased distractibility 
sleep difficulty

Question 3

endocrine changes in major depression - HPA axis (cortisol)

Answer 3

increased secretion of ACTH and CORT
elevated CORT in urine and saliva
increased CRH in CSF
blunted ACTH to CRH
enlarged adrenal glands 
50-70% fail suppress CORT production following DEX

chronic hyper secretion of CRF in hypothalamus

Question 4

endocrine changes in major depression HPT axis (T3 and T4)

Answer 4

20-30% MD populations show some dysfunction
increased TRH in CSF
TSH response to TRH blunted in 20-25% even though normal basal TSH, T3, T4

chronic hyper secretion of TRH in hypothalamus

Question 5

The longer the depressive the longer the brain is submitted to what

Answer 5

high levels of cortisol

Question 6

BPD leads to what changes

Answer 6

reduced grey matter - anterior cingulate

reduced number of glial cells with normal neuronal numbers