Variant linked to susceptibility to depression, anxiety and memory loss

Variant linked to susceptibility to depression, anxiety and memory loss

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered why a tiny alteration in a brain gene, found in 20 percent of the population, contributes to the risk for anxiety, depression and memory loss.
Their discovery, reported in Nature Communications, describes new functions for the alteration, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. This gene is a powerful regulator of the growth and function of neurons, and the establishment of brain circuitry. The common alteration occurs when a single "letter" of BDNF's genetic code is "misspelled."
The team of investigators, led by Dr. Clay Bracken, associate research professor of biochemistry and director of the nuclear magnetic resonance facility, Dr. Barbara Hempstead, professor of medicine, and Dr. Francis Lee, professor of psychiatry, all at Weill Cornell Medical College, discovered that the alteration appears to induce shrinkage of neurons from the hippocampus (an important region for memory and emotion), reducing connectivity between brain cells.
The discovery upends the prevailing theory about how the BDNF SNP alters the function of the brain, says Dr. Agustin Anastasia, first author of the article and a postdoctoral fellow in the Hempstead lab. "Research on BDNF is very active worldwide, and the conventional wisdom of the field was that the SNP reduced the amount of BDNF that was secreted. Therefore, many investigators were trying to increase production of the protein -- but this effort was only moderately successful."
"While the SNP does decrease the amount of BDNF in neurons, it generates a protein, the Met66 prodomain, that is different from the Val66 prodomain that is generated by the 80 percent of the human population that does not carry the SNP," Dr. Hempstead says. "The Met66 prodomain binds to specific proteins on the surface of neurons, to induce the pruning or shrinkage of these neurons."
The findings offer mechanistic insight into why some depression and anxiety runs in families, Dr. Lee says. "There can be a heritable component to these diseases and it makes sense that a common variant in a gene could be involved," he says. "Just like hypertension contributes to the risk for heart disease, the BDNF alteration increases the risk of depression, anxiety and memory disorders -- but is not the sole reason why they occur."
Still, targeted treatment for the genetic alteration could provide the first true benefit for affected patients, who often don't respond to traditional treatments, Dr. Lee says. "We can easily test patients for the mutation by using a simple blood test," he says. "We just need novel targeted treatments that alter the effects of the BDNF SNP-- and now we have a good lead on what that therapy should do."
The other half of the story
In 2006, Dr. Lee discovered that neuronal secretion of mutated BDNF was reduced, compared to secretion of wild-type BDNF, and generated a mouse that expressed the human BDNF SNP. That study appeared in Science. "It turns out we were only half right," Dr. Lee says. "This current study tells the rest of the story."
In the new study, the researchers used a combination of approaches to understand what the Met66 prodomain, generated by the BDNF SNP, was doing. Dr. Bracken led the structural biology work that defined the alterations in the protein that were conferred by the BDNF SNP. The team also included Drs. Katrin Deinhardt and Moses Chao, BDNF biologists and investigators from the Skirball Institute at New York University School of Medicine, who used techniques to evaluate neuronal pruning.
The team knew that BDNF is manufactured inside neurons. One part of the protein, the prodomain, was known to help guide BDNF to the surface of neurons. BDNF released from cells stimulates the growth and activity of neighboring neurons. However, little was known about the prodomain itself; it was considered a useless or inactive protein.
The researchers used a variety of methods to study what actually happened to the prodomain with both the altered BDNF (Met66 prodomain), and in wild-type BDNF (Val66 prodomain).
Read more at:http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130920/Small-alteration-in-a-brain-gene-contributes-to-risk-for-anxiety-depression-and-memory-loss.aspx

I Battle Depression And Anxiety

New Doctor

I was recently referred by counselor to a psychiatrist, since my normal Dr has issues medicating anxiety and depression meds. I have been fighting anxiety attacks for years. When I finally reach out for help I get slammed in the face with are you here to abuse the medication or we cant trust you with the medication that can help you when the attacks hit. This is the treatment I expected in the past so I was never honest with other doctors about my past addictions. Addictions I have overcome and not had too many issues with for 10 years. I blame myself honestly. I should have known that once my doctor saw the questionnaire stating yes I had been an addict she would treat me different. I could understand if it was meth I was asking to be handed. I took it to keep in control and not sleep while under the roof of an abusive sick monster who l liked to sneak up on little girls in their sleep. Said monster is gone and I haven't touched the stuff in over 10 yrs. But that doesn't matter to a naive doctor who thinks the world is full of pill poppers just looking for their next hit. So here is hoping this psychiatrist is willing to look at me present not my past and help me with the attacks and the depression. I would love to be able to function outside of my home without being plagued by anxiety. (end rant)

Source: http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Battle-Depression-And-Anxiety/3703738

Ten ways to fight your fears

Whatever it is that scares you, here are 10 ways to help you cope with your fear and anxiety:

1. Take time out

It feels impossible to think clearly when you’re flooded with fear or anxiety. A racing heart, sweating palms and feeling panicky and confused are the result of adrenalin. So, the first thing to do is take time out so you can physically calm down. 

Distract yourself from the worry for 15 minutes by walking around the block, making a cup of tea or having a bath. When you’ve physically calmed down, you’ll feel better able to decide on the best way to cope.

2. What’s the worst that can happen?

When you're anxious about something, be it work, a relationship or an exam, it can help to think through what the worst end result could be. Even if a presentation, a call or a conversation goes horribly wrong, chances are that you and the world will survive. Sometimes the worst that can happen is a panic attack.
If you start to get a faster heartbeat or sweating palms, the best thing is not to fight it. Stay where you are and simply feel the panic without trying to distract yourself. Placing the palm of your hand on your stomach and breathing slowly and deeply (no more than 12 breaths a minute) helps soothe the body.
It may take up to an hour, but eventually the panic will go away on its own. The goal is to help the mind get used to coping with panic, which takes the fear of fear away.

3. Expose yourself to the fear

Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. If you panic one day getting into a lift, it’s best to get back into a lift the next day. Stand in the lift and feel the fear until it goes away. Whatever your fear, if you face it, it should start to fade.

4. Welcome the worst

Each time fears are embraced, it makes them easier to cope with the next time they strike, until in the end they are no longer a problem. Try imagining the worst thing that can happen – perhaps it’s panicking and having a heart attack. Then try to think yourself into having a heart attack. It’s just not possible. The fear will run away the more you chase it.

5. Get real

Fears tend to be much worse than reality. Often, people who have been attacked can’t help thinking they’re going to be attacked again every time they walk down a dark alley. But the chance that an attack will happen again is actually very low.
Similarly, people sometimes tell themselves they're a failure because they blush when they feel self-conscious. This then makes them more upset. But blushing in stressful situations is normal. By remembering this, the anxiety goes away.

6. Don’t expect perfection

Black-and-white perfectionist thinking such as, "If I’m not the best mum in the world, I’m a failure," or, "My DVDs aren’t all facing in the same direction, so my life is a mess," are unrealistic and only set us up for anxiety.
Life is full of stresses, yet many of us feel that our lives must be perfect. Bad days and setbacks will always happen, and it’s essential to remember that life is messy. 

7. Visualise

Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place of safety and calm: it could be a picture of you walking on a beautiful beach, or snuggled up in bed with the cat next to you or a happy memory from childhood. Let the positive feelings soothe you until you feel more relaxed.

8. Talk about it

Sharing fears takes away a lot of their scariness. If you can’t talk to a partner, friend or family member, call a helpline such as the Samaritans (08457 90 90 90, open 24 hours a day). And if your fears aren’t going away, ask your GP for help. GPs can refer people for counselling, psychotherapy or online help through a new online service called FearFighter.

9. Go back to basics

A good sleep, a wholesome meal and a walk are often the best cures for anxiety. The easiest way to fall asleep when worries are spiralling through the mind can be to stop trying to nod off. Instead, try to stay awake.
Many people turn to alcohol or drugs to self-treat anxiety, with the idea that it will make them feel better, but these only make nervousness worse. On the other hand, eating well will make you feel great physically and mentally.

10. Reward yourself

Finally, give yourself a treat. When you’ve picked up that spider or made that call you’ve been dreading, reinforce your success by treating yourself to a candlelit bath, a massage, a country walk, a concert, a meal out, a book, a DVD or whatever little gift makes you happy.

Source: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/overcoming-fears.aspx

Fighting Depression

The Thing About Depression..

The thing about depression is that is makes you actually WANT to suffer. And that seems to be one of the hardest parts. I am currently in an intensive outpatient care at a mental institution and I feel like i am less than a soul. But my goal is to help people who are like me, I'll help you want to chose life.
Source: http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Battle-Depression-And-Anxiety/3686026

Racism linked to depression and anxiety in youth

An international review led by the University of Melbourne has found children and young people experience poor mental health, depression and anxiety following experiences of racism.

The first of its kind, the review showed 461 cases of links between racism and child and youth health outcomes. 
Lead researcher Dr Naomi Priest at the McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing at the University of Melbourne said the review demonstrated racism as an important factor influencing the health and wellbeing of children and youth. 


“The review showed there are strong and consistent relationships between racial discrimination and a range of detrimental health outcomes such as low self-esteem, reduced resilience, increased behaviour problems and lower levels of wellbeing.”
The most common types of racism the studies investigated were interpersonal experiences of racism – between people rather than institutional or systemic racism.
Associations between racism and behaviour problems, pregnancy and birth outcomes were common. The studies reviewed found children whose mother experienced racism during pregnancy were more likely to have poorer birth outcomes.

Most studies reviewed were conducted in the US with younger people aged 12-18.

The three most common ethnic/racial groups represented in the studies were African American, Latino/a and Asian, including East Asian, South Asian and other Asian.
Dr Priest said the review identified an important issue that needed to be addressed in society, schools and communities to improve child and youth health.
“We know that children who experience poor health and wellbeing are less likely to engage in education, employment and other activities that support them to lead healthy and productive lives and to participate meaningfully in the community,” she said.

The review was conducted in collaboration with Deakin University and University College London. 


The research will published in the October edition of the internationally top ranking social science journal Social Science & Medicine.
Source:http://newsroom.melbourne.edu/news/racism-linked-depression-and-anxiety-youth

Suffering From Depression?

Suffering from depression? Take a course of surf lessons! Doctors prescribe watersports for young people with anxiety disorders on the NHS

Depression sufferers are being given surfing lessons on the NHS as a form of therapy.
The £10,000 pilot scheme, funded by Dorset Healthcare University Foundation Trust, offers young people a series of sessions on prescription.
Schools, social services and bereavement charities can recommend people between eight and 21-years-old for the project where youngsters ride the waves to help them cope with their mental heath problems.

Therapy: The £10,000 scheme set up by Dorset Healthcare University Foundation offers young people surfing on prescription (picture not taken from lessons)

Dr Jenny Lloyd from Exeter University Medical School, who researches child health and well-being, said: 'In terms of building children’s confidence and self-esteem, this is a fantastic initiative.
'But we cannot say it has greater benefits or is more cost-effective than an activity other than surfing.

 More...

• Mother with post-natal depression killed on train tracks after struggling to cope with newborn who woke 20 times a night
• 'My job is to protect kids online but I could not keep my own son safe': Campaigner's heartbreak at death of bullied child, 14, who took his own life after visiting suicide websites

'This sort of research is not able to tell us that.
'If at the core it is group work, or learning new skills that are behind the improvements in wellbeing, there may be other activities which also fit the bill.'
Joe Taylor, who runs the Wave Project, said: 'What is great is it doesn’t feel like therapy for the young people but there are therapeutic principles behind it such as reducing anxiety, promoting confidence and well-being.

Treatment: Volunteers say the sessions have helped boost the participant's self-esteem

'It’s the sense they have gone into a challenge that they did not necessarily believe they could do, discovered they could do it and that people were supporting them, making them feel more able to do all sorts of different things in their lives'
The Wave Project has run similar sessions on the Cornwall and Devon coasts for the past few years.
They have been part funded by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust with the support of charities such as the Big Lottery Fund and BBC Children in Need.
Two local doctors, Laura Bond and Sarah Colpus, who volunteer there, recently presented research on the project at the British Association of Sports and Exercise Medicine Conference.
They looked at more than 100 questionnaires filled in by young people before and after the surfing course.
Taking into account feedback from parents and carers, they found the majority felt their confidence, self-esteem and well-being had improved after the course.
And parents and people who referred the children said they seemed more engaged in school and had improved behaviour.
Dr Bond said: 'Having volunteered with the Wave Project this year, we have seen first hand the really positive impact that the project has on young people who are referred to it.
'But now we have evidence to support the incredible feedback we have seen from clients and parents, so we hope that surfing will be taken more seriously as an intervention by medical professionals.'
Brandon, 14, was referred to the project by social services to help him settle into foster care and a new class at school.
He has had five lessons, learning to become familiar with his board and how to paddle and stand up.
He said: 'Starting new challenges like this helps me look forward to other challenges. I feel more focused and I’m not afraid to do something different.
'And I think after these few sessions I might just buy my own board and just get out there.'
'Now I am more happy to make friends and I am not shy to let myself out there in the middle of the group instead of just standing back there in the shadows.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2507989/NHS-doctors-prescribe-watersports-young-people-anxiety-disorders.html#ixzz2kop0DUkp

How Depression Speeds Up The Ageing Process

Suffering from depression can dramatically speed up the ageing process in cells, research has found.
Tests revealed that cells appeared biologically older in people who were severely depressed or who had suffered from the condition in the past.
Dutch researchers compared cell structures called telomeres in more than 2,400 people with and without depression.
Telomeres bracket the ends of chromosomes to protect cell's DNA being damaged, but they are shortened when cells divide and can indicate ageing.
On average people naturally lose between 14 to 20 base pairs of DNA in the telomeres each year, Everyday Health reported.
Telomeres of people who had ever suffered depression were significantly shorter by about 83 to 84 base pairs of DNA, than those of people who had never suffered from the condition.
Scientists said the difference indicates approximately four to six years of advanced ageing.
The differences in a measure of cell ageing called telomere length couldn't be explained by other harmful lifestyle factors, such as alcohol or smoking, the BBC reported.

The differences in a measure of cell ageing called telomere length couldn't be explained by other harmful lifestyle factors

Study author Josine Verhoeven from the VU University Medical Centre, in the Netherlands, and U.S. colleagues, found that the most severely and chronically depressed patients had the shortest telomeres.
The results were published in Molecular Psychiatry.

More...

• Half an hour's exercise each day prevents depression later in life, study reveals
• Men who turn into mid-life fitness fanatics may actually be HARMING their health

The findings come after a new study has shown that not only can light activity treat depression, it can actually prevent it.
Researchers looking at 26-years' worth of data have shown that people who exercise when they're young are less likely to become depressed as they get older.
The project, which analysed data from 30 previous studies, found that in 25 of them there was a link between lack of activity and being diagnosed with depression in later life.

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, recommends around 20-30 minutes of light activity, such as walking or gardening, every day.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2504758/How-depression-age-sufferers-speeding-ageing-process-cells.html#ixzz2kXahYrEx

Sleepwalking Linked to Depression and Anxiety

Sleepwalking Linked to Depression, Anxiety

By Janice Wood Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on May 15, 2012

About 1.1 million adults in the U.S. — or 3.6 percent of the nation’s adult population — are prone to sleepwalking, according to new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The research also showed an association between sleepwalking and psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
The study “underscores that fact that sleepwalking is much more prevalent in adults than previously appreciated,” noted Maurice Ohayon, M.D., D.Sc., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who is the lead author of the paper. It will appear in the May 15 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Sleepwalking, a disorder “of arousal from non-REM sleep,” can have serious consequences, resulting in injuries to the sleepwalker or others, as well as impaired psychosocial functioning, the researchers noted.
It is thought that the use of medication and certain psychological and psychiatric conditions can trigger sleepwalking, but the exact causes are unknown, the researchers added. Also unknown to experts in the field: its prevalence.
“Apart from a study we did 10 years ago in the European general population, where we reported a prevalence of 2 percent of sleepwalking, there are nearly no data regarding the prevalence of nocturnal wanderings in the adult general population,” the researchers said in their published paper. “In the United States, the only prevalence rate was published 30 years ago.”
The latest study was the first to use a large, representative sample of the U.S. population to demonstrate the number of sleepwalkers, according to the researchers, who also aimed to evaluate the importance of medication use and mental disorders associated with sleepwalking. Ohayon and his colleagues secured a sample of 19,136 individuals from 15 states and then used phone surveys to gather information on mental health, medical history, and medication use.
Participants were asked specific questions related to sleepwalking, including frequency of episodes during sleep, duration of the sleep disorder, and any inappropriate or potentially dangerous behaviors during sleep. Those who didn’t report any episodes in the last year were asked if they had sleepwalked during their childhood. Participants were also asked whether there was a family history of sleepwalking and whether they had other symptoms, such as sleep terrors and violent behaviors during sleep.
The researchers determined that as many as 3.6 percent of the sample reported at least one episode of sleepwalking in the previous year, with 1 percent saying they had two or more episodes in a month. Because of the number of respondents who reported having episodes during childhood or adolescence, lifetime prevalence of sleepwalking was found to be 29.2 percent.
The study also showed that people with depression were 3.5 times more likely to sleepwalk than those without, and people dependent on alcohol or who had obsessive-compulsive disorder were also significantly more likely to have sleepwalking episodes. Additionally, people taking SSRI antidepressants were three times more likely to sleepwalk twice a month or more than those who didn’t.
“There is no doubt an association between nocturnal wanderings and certain conditions, but we don’t know the direction of the causality,” said Ohayon. “Are the medical conditions provoking sleepwalking, or is it vice versa? Or perhaps it’s the treatment that is responsible.”
Although more research is needed, the work could help raise awareness of this association among primary care physicians, he added. “We’re not expecting them to diagnose sleepwalking, but they might detect symptoms that could be indices of sleepwalking,” said Ohayon.
Among the researchers’ other findings:

• The duration of sleepwalking was mostly chronic, with just over 80 percent of those who have sleepwalked reporting they’ve done so for more than five years.
• Sleepwalking was not associated with gender and seemed to decrease with age.
• Nearly one-third of individuals with nocturnal wandering had a family history of the disorder.
• People using over-the-counter sleeping pills had a higher likelihood of reporting sleepwalking episodes at least two times

 Reference: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/05/16/sleepwalking-linked-to-depression-anxiety/38671.html

Depression

What is depression?

We often use the expression ‘I feel depressed’ when we’re feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually, these feelings pass in due course. But, if the feelings are interfering with your life and don't go away after a couple of weeks, or if they come back, over and over again, for a few days at a time, it could be a sign that you're depressed in the medical sense of the term.

In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits. It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life, but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its most severe, major depression (clinical depression) can be life-threatening, because it can make you feel suicidal or simply give up the will to live.

There are also some specific forms of depression:

 Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – this is seasonal depression which is related to day length. It usually comes on in the autumn and winter, when days are short and the sun is low in the sky, and gets better as the days get longer and brighter. (See Understanding seasonal affective disorder.)

Postnatal depression – many mothers have ‘the baby blues’ soon after the birth of their baby, but it usually passes after a day or two. Postnatal depression is a much more serious problem and can occur any time between two weeks and two years after the birth. (See Understanding postnatal depression.)

 Bipolar disorder (manic depression) – some people have major mood swings, when periods of depression alternate with periods of mania. When manic, they are in a state of high excitement, and may plan and may try to carry out over-ambitious schemes and ideas. They often then have periods of severe depression. (See Understanding bipolar disorder.)

Source: http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/depression/?gclid=CPq1jr_TzboCFfHItAodDXoAcw#.UnjlRlOqJXc