Week 1 Part 2 Flashcards
What is depression?
Common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act
It is polymorphic
Huge impact on quality of life of patients
The global burden of disease study used what?
Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) to compare death and disability from
Various disorders in developing and developed countries
What is DALY?
One lost year of “healthy” life
Measurement of the gap between current health status and an ideal health situation where the entire population lives to an advanced age, free of disease and disability
What is the major issues of depression (1)
75% patients experience more than one episode
15-20% experience depression as a chronic condition
Many patients suffer residual symptoms between episodes
20% of patients lifetime is spent in a depressed state
With each new episode the the risk of depression increases
10-20% depressed patients commit suicide
What is the major issues of depression (2) ?
25-35% of patients do not respond to antidepressant medications
The effects of antidepressant drugs are delayed
(2-3 weeks after initiation of treatment)
Preventing relapse remains a challenge
The pathophysiology of depression is I completely understood
There are no reliable biological markers
No availability of adequate animal models
What is syndrome profile of major depression? According to DSM-IV?
- Psychomotor retardation
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Diminished ability to concentrate
- Diminished interest in social activity
- Psychomotor agitation
- Depressed mood
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
- Suicidal ideation
- Insomnia
- Weight loss and decreased appetite
- Lack of interest and anhedonia
What are brain regions associated with depression?
Amygdala Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Medial prefrontal cortex Orbitofrontal cortex Anterior cingulate cortex Striatal regions (ventral stratium) Hippocampus Hypothalamus Thalamus
How is the cognition of depressed individual affected?
Ability to function optimally intellectually
What so depressed people have deficit in?
Monoamine in the brain called monoamine hypothesis of depression
What does depression genetic hit have a link to?
Activities of the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase
This is involved in the metabolism of dopamine
How do drugs act in treating depression?
Differently on 5-HT and noradrenaline transmission
What are examples of drugs for treating depression?
- TCA
- SSRIs
- MAOIs
- RIMA
- SNRIs
- NRI
- Nefazodone
- Mirtazapine
What are the non-pharmacological approaches for mood disorder?
Electroconvulsive therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Deep brain stimulation
vagal nerve stimulation
What are the phases of treatment ?
- Acute treatment
- Continuation treatment
- Maintenance treatment
What is an example of clinical entity?
o A patient is treated with a variety of approaches e.g. electro-convulsive therapy
What is ECT?
treatment that involves sending an electric current through the brain to trigger an epileptic seizure to relieve the symptoms of some mental health problem
What is features observed of ECT?
- changes pattern of blood flow in the brain
2. Changes the way energy is used in parts of the brain that are thought to be involved in depression
What are adverse effects of ECT?
- Memory loss - usually short term
- Anxiety
- Short term headaches
- Nausea
- Muscle aches
What is Tranylcypromine?
Antidepressant - monoamine oxidase inhibitor
treats depression by restoring the balance of certain natural substances in the brain
When is Tranylcypromine used?
persons who have not responded to treatments with other drugs
What does ketamine infusion have the ability to revolutionise?
The way doctors treat depression
give people struggling with depression unprecedented relief from their symptoms
What is ketamine effective and tolerable for?
minority of patients