The causes and consequences of depression on a neurological level

Bodha, P.K. (2016) The causes and consequences of depression on a neurological level. Bachelor's Thesis, Biology.

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Abstract

Every year, the number of people diagnosed with depression increases with 20%. Several forms of depression are known, each with their own specifities and symptoms, making diagnosis hard. Depression can have severe effects on an individual’s personal life, work and overall health. In most of the cases, this condition can be treated by a combination of psychotherapy and medications such as antidepressants. In severe cases of depression, electroconvulsive therapy or deep brain stimulation can be used to relieve the symptoms. The exact mechanism of the development of depression is still a widely investigated topic. Here, alterations in brain structure of patients suffering from different forms of depression were found, however, these results are inconsistent. Alterations in neurotransmitters and connections involved in neurotransmitter release were observed compared to healthy controls. It has also been suggested that a genetic predisposition can be a contributing factor for the development of several forms of depression together with other risk factors such as high work pressure, social impairment, insomnia and low self-esteem. Overall, here I show that depression and it´s development is a highly complicated process and the consequences can be mild to severe, depending on factors such as age of onset, responsiveness to medications and overall health. Also, I show the many alterations in brain structure that are found in these forms of depression and that the line between causes and consequences of depression on the brain still has to be drawn.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis)
Degree programme:	Biology
Thesis type:	Bachelor's Thesis
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	15 Feb 2018 08:10
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2018 08:10
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/13655

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