scientists ID'd brain parts responsible for depression

Post Reply New Topic

(clicky)scientists say they've identified the physical source of depression in the brain, in the orbitofrontal cortex

I hope this leads to better treatments soon.

Interesting, thanks for sharing. I hope this leads to better treatments soon too.

the illuminating fact for me was that they discovered that the medial frontal module was dimmed [remembrance of good things] while the lateral frontal module was amplified [remembrance of bad things], so it was like a one-two punch of unpleasantness behind most cases of depression.

Yeah, that's interesting.

aside from meds and such, the only treatment that worked for me was a combo of vigorous physical exercise, and mental hygiene techniques that nipped bad thoughts as they appeared, and immediately replaced them with other thoughts, as the brain can only hold one discrete thought in working memory at any time, so it is a matter of kicking that thought out any way you can, with another thought, any other thought that isn't bad, which is a form of distraction.

Now they need to identify and link the parts of the culture that are also responsible for depression...

good point- living out in the sticks is far less depressing to me than city life. it is PEOPLE [for me] that exacerbate my depression, other people. seeing masses of sophisticated urban and urbane people with better lives than me, more carefree lives, people who are having fun, people who are normally functioning and never having to struggle just to keep their heads above water. away from those obnoxious sorts, the bad memory parts of my OFC are not reminded to pipe up, thereby freeing the good memory parts to be better "heard" above the din.

You are far from alone in that. Scientists look down the tunnel at "depression". I look at the culture, noticing the reports and feedback from AS people and see "despair", a response to constant invalidation and misrepresentation.

I wonder how common depression was in earlier times, before the industrial revolution for instance? among our distant caveman ancestors?

We can't know, of course, though the thing about short subsistence life is that you don't have much time to ruminate, I would guess, each day is a quest for immediate safety and survival. The one thing they had was cohesive groups, were it was all for one and one for all, basically. Depression may have increased as the cult of individualism has increased.

I wonder if the Japanese hikikomori* are depressed.

*Hikikomori
Hikikomori is a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement. The term hikikomori refers to both the sociological phenomenon in general and the people belonging to this societal group. Hikikomori have been described as recluses, loners, or "modern-day hermits."

I think there are different factors re Japan. Culturally, they seem to be more introverted generally compared to the "Hey guys I'm here" type of extrovert-dominant culture in the USA. Maybe the "H" fringe represents the extreme end of that Bell Curve of introversion in Japan.

I know i'm basically an American hikikomori.

Re primitive civilizations and depression: I've seen it hypothesized that depression was possibly an adaptive feature in conquered people, as it led to them being easier to control and thereby less likely to be slaughtered. Or in situations of hardship, say a famine, lower energy expenditure may make it more likely the person will survive the famine.

Not provable propositions, but interesting to think about, anyway.

life conquered me.

I don't think so. You have no bitterness at all, and abundant good will to others. That is quite an achievement in a lifetime. This was said by a certain master...

"What does it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”