European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 3 March | 70 comments (70 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Depression: An evolutionary byproduct of immune system?

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2012) -- Depression is common enough -- afflicting one in ten adults in the United States -- that it seems the possibility of depression must be "hard-wired" into our brains. This has led biologists to propose several theories to account for how depression, or behaviors linked to it, can somehow offer an evolutionary advantage.
Some previous proposals for the role of depression in evolution have focused on how it affects behavior in a social context. A pair of psychiatrists addresses this puzzle in a different way, tying together depression and resistance to infection. They propose that genetic variations that promote depression arose during evolution because they helped our ancestors fight infection.
An outline of their proposal appears online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Mar 2nd, 2012 at 02:06:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living on the Planet (none / 0)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-shocked-to-find-antibiotics-alleviate-symptoms- of-schizophrenia-7469121.html

possible cure for schizophrenia?

wouldn't that be great? inflammation of the brain seems to be the culprit here, although there could be some sort of infection as well.

the article also mentions the possibility that depression could be affected by this antibiotic

by stevesim on Sat Mar 3rd, 2012 at 03:12:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living on the Planet (none / 0)

That would be great.

I would however suspect that both schizophrenia and depression has more then one possible brain dysfunction as cause. But hey, if some can be cured that is progress!

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Sat Mar 3rd, 2012 at 04:21:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living on the Planet (none / 0)

the results have been outstanding for schizophrenia and that is good news for society and so many families.

by stevesim on Sat Mar 3rd, 2012 at 09:26:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 3 March | 70 comments (70 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)