Posted by linkadge on September 23, 2007, at 15:47:29
In reply to Re: Treatment Resistant Thoughts, posted by rskontos on September 23, 2007, at 14:09:35
I shouldn't say that such cases are hopelss as there really are some things a person can do to get the cells themselves working better.
Mood stabilizers, at least lithium and valproate, work at a cellular level. They increase the level of many cellular survival factors such as BDNF, BCL-2. They also alter cascades like GSK-3b, and PKC which can dammage cells if too active.
The problem is that they are rearely good antidepressants on their own.
It is possable that long term use could help correct some of the strucural problems associated with mood disorders.
There is some evidence that antioxidant diets, reducing excessive calories, exercise, good fats, etc etc. etc. probably have a favorable impact on cellular survival and repair. Anything that would be considered good in other neurological disease would probably help depression.
This is not to assume that those with mood disorders are actually living unhealthy lifestyles, only that perhaps, they need to do more due to some yet unidentified cause of neurologic insult.
Even in parkinsons, for instance, it is no longer considered a single factor (ie low dopamine) model. There is evidence of cellular decay, insufficiant neurotransmission, loss of receptor/integrity of receptors, etc etc.
There are some preliminary reports of agents like q10 being able to retard the process of the parkinsons, it is a shame that similar studies havn't taken place in depression.
We already know that neurotoxins such as MDMA can produce long term depression, presumably by damging serotonergic nerves.
I am not saying any of these things are proven to work, only that it might be good to study such possabilities.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:783554
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070919/msgs/784689.html