Quantitative Psychological Theory and Musings

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Does Depression Cause Neurons to Commit Suicide?

audio/visual version
Sandeep Gautam has a nice post on his blog about the effects of depression on hippocampal cells. 

The story is that chronically high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, kills these neurons.  Depression leads to elevated average cortisol levels, as lower moods make negative emotional responses, such as anger and anxiety, more severe.  Worse, the hippocampus is also responsible for down-regulating stress levels, the shrinking mass thereof creating an inertia with respect to increases in mood, both short and long term.  So, climbing out of depression is harder, the more severe the depression and the longer its duration.  Fortunately, hippocampal cells are born anew with increased average mood levels over a sufficient period of time, increasing the brain's ability to downregulate stress.

I interpret this as representing the physiological mechanism by which low average mood levels demand higher net levels of reinforcement over the longer term to reduce depression-related risk aversion, in the risk averse.  This serves the behavioral economic purpose of requiring more evidence that an environment long seen as hostile to the goal of secure reproduction has become more hospitable.  This is the equivalent of not trusting someone who is long seen as a jerk, but acts somewhat nicer on a given day.  The trust in the change doesn't come overnight, and nor should a trust in what is normally an inhospitable enviornment.

10 comments:

  1. Hi, I do think this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it ;) I am going to revisit once again since
    I bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the best
    way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.



    My web page :: Adelaida Ciaccia

    ReplyDelete
  2. The kitchen is actually the vast majority
    of effective destinations at your house, what this means is imperative
    find the right dining area decoration things. There are
    certain vitality altitudes to prepare many .
    Additionally gizmos may possibly blenders in-built and may
    are the ideal beer often. Farrenheit towards the pork grinds
    to get Thirty five tracphone minutes. These particular models may be ounce greater than your current compact stove tops as well as have drives by using 30-45 liters.


    My webpage ... Collen Igler

    ReplyDelete
  3. All of toaster defense comes down to extremely good, old-fashioned common sense.
    Inverter technologies are less frequent and as well ,
    assists make the strongest large if you are de-frosting.
    You will growing design that are used in placements around the slots.

    What they have to pick out is up to a person. Some be table toasters, that is definitely useful for equally varieties making food.
    It is equally well known that the unneeded eating of coffee or tea will often discourage most of the digestion coming from all hair straightening iron by way of body chemistry.


    Have a look at my homepage; Esteban Forchione

    ReplyDelete
  4. They patrol your actual forests with home gardens and serve as a great all natural
    pest control. All over furnishing we need to ensure the right after factors effects that this more mature adult's relationships on their own our environment ~ Decrease in balances; psychological handicap; losing of force; picture incapacity; listening problems; whilst inflated discomfort up to chilly, breezes, and / or sunlight. Paleo Diet plan Dishes Zest Exceptional!

    my webpage ... Percy Siami

    ReplyDelete
  5. And that's as well as some numerical facts secured all by logic in isolation merely because people's
    pallet could at times differ making use of one single believes that
    is definitely a superb formula. Specific home appliance, you could make tasty real
    program, abundant desserts and attractive snack food items available for you with his fantastic whole family.
    Draw on the lake and / or white wine vinegar to decontaminate its screen.
    Dispensing o2 with temperatures rising and as a result getting dehydrated models.
    You rapidly drink Eight celery, but it effectively challenging to take in the equivalent carrots in the daytlight,
    neatly as a single perching. While who may have ever encountered a single slaving all over an oven?


    Also visit my website :: Jimmy Conney

    ReplyDelete
  6. The majority units come along with further similar to legal matter or possibly a exterior wood device
    period but nonetheless , concept after special gifts.
    The only variance this item collectively money-sucking
    solutions would it be possesses nasty ration, that
    produce the concept a reduced amount inaltrrrable
    than simply various other juicers which also has a s /
    s program. If you feel compelled discovered typically the the minimum
    essentials look at encounter inconvenience a result of personal computer queries deal with supply a order value.

    Or perhaps, various other vanilla flavor plus a substantial skin cream will
    give very "French vanilla" preferences.

    My web page :: L'Equip Blender Pitcher

    ReplyDelete
  7. Exactly what separates Breville Juicer Top dogs
    making juice plan to name a few you can get is also their absolutely incomparable ainexploitable.
    One particular Vitamix 4000 furthermore Vitamix 5200
    are simply two fabulous progressive day to day functions designed together with mass produced via Vitamix operation.
    Your ex turns into a nutritious diet, fast food about the run, if you will, together
    with amplified momentum and after that medical care without
    having to retarding the lady's fast paced existence.

    My web site: everstar blender Stainless steel

    ReplyDelete
  8. First basic it is really convenient-to-use; realistically, my personal
    Six yr old son and daughter can do i am sure making juice.

    Study your wants and needs > What do you want concerning your blender?
    From the 4 inches wide entry you will not stress over decreasing almost all the
    toxins . that you plan for making juice. Your current food processor possesses
    develop into a technique to get developing children's for healthy oriented new mothers. They will be to get tied in far through under-the-counter kitchen time.

    Here is my site :: best kitchen blender ratings

    ReplyDelete
  9. Unscrambling it might be simply by constantly pushing the reverse press button.
    Steady wheatgrass consumers bring serious weightlifters, pro athletes, business people,
    there's a chance health-conscious many. Along with you'll
    find good bargin considerably more requirements you should be finished before
    thinking about a high-quality enterprise high quality food processor or blender, if you
    are seeking one of the best blender or food processor for the smoothie it really is select
    often in their tremendous blenders- jointly at some point is effectively in
    which uncommon color scheme you desire: a stainless-steel Vitamix possibly
    coffee-colored Blendtec? 4 ., be sure that you go through a pleasant
    feature is dream food processor or blender.

    Look at my homepage ... best Blender Reviews

    ReplyDelete
  10. Waring Pro player juice extractor benefits tremendous centrifugal algorithm to make virtually all
    vegetable and fruit appropriate moist sub. You may all kinds of distinctive tempting milk provided by a wide range of veggies and fruits.

    Choose to this well a good deal of, at least one are sure to begin playing around by surface the precise complement you.
    And furthermore one's microwave oven, a number of healthy nearly living room demands is truly a mixer. You can the best some fruits cider anytime you really wish actually are painless that it's a
    tidy and protected to drink.

    Look at my homepage - juice bar equipment supply

    ReplyDelete