Neurobiology of Mood Disorders Flashcards
What do appetitive/approach systems do?
Mediate seeking and approach behaviours (incl. pleasure).
What parts of the brain are involved in approach behaviours?
- ascending dopamine systems – mesolimbic/corIcal projecIon
- ventral striatum
- dorsal striatum (movement)
- amygdala (conditioning / learning)
- anterior cingulate (attention / conflict /response selection)
- orbitofrontal cortex (relative reward preference / rule learning)
What do aversive/defensive systems do?
Promote survival in the event of threat (fear/pain).
What parts of the brain are involved in promoting survival in the event of threat?
- ascending serotonin systems
- NA / CRF / peptide transmiters
- central nucleus of amygdala
- hippocampus
- ventroanterior and medial hypothalamus
- periaqueductal gray matter
Give an explanation of depression.
Altered sensitivity/accuracy of brain systems evaluating rewards and cues predicting rewards within the environment
Give an explanation of anxiety.
Altered sensitivity/accuracy of brain systems evaluating threats and cues predicting threats within the environment
What is the lifetime prevalence of depression?
16%
Is depression more common in men or women? By how much?
Twice as common in women
By how much is risk of psychiatric admission increased in the 30 days following childbirth?
7x
What % of women experience blues in the first 2 weeks?
75%
What % of women develop MDD in first 3-6 months?
10%
How often does ‘puerperal psychosis’ occur?
1 in 500 deliveries
What is the risk of recurrence with subsequent deliveries?
1/3
______________ has complex polygenic influences associated with multiple variants and environmental interactions
Depression
What is the final hormone in the HPA axis?
Cortisol
Cortisol level is elevated in what?
Urine, saliva
What happens to the secretion of ACTH in depression?
INCREASES
What happens to the secretion of cortisol?
INCREASES
What is increased in CSF in major depression?
CRH
What happens to the adrenal glands in major depression?
Enlarged
50-70% fail to suppress CORT production following DEX
TRUE
What are the final hormones in the HPT axis?
Thyroid - T3 and T4
What % of people with major depression show changes in the HPT axis?
20-30%
What is increased in CSF in major depression that its CRH?
TRH
