Posted by SLS on June 15, 2008, at 5:21:26
In reply to Re: does selegiline really mitigate DAergic cell loss? » undopaminergic, posted by okydoky on June 14, 2008, at 18:02:11
> Thank you so much. I wish I could understand it all better. Are different substances neuroprotective in differnet ways or for different reasons. I.E. protectoin from certain neurotoxins or something else? I ask as I have been taking Ritalin for many years and have progressive cognitive defects beyong waht is "normal" for my age.
It is the depression that is producing your dementia. It will resolve gradually as you respond to an antidepressant treatment robustly. The degree of dementia in depression is increased as one ages with the disorder inadequately treated. In fact, melancholy seems to be replaced by dementia in the elderly, thus the errant diagnoses of what is now known as depression-induced "pseudodementia". My personal opinion is that the hippocampus loses tissue volume as the result of atrophy due to a pathological reduction in its activation by efferent pathways. To compound matters, chronically elevated cortisol also results in the loss of hippocampal tissue volume.
Yes, the impairments in depression of cognition, concentration, and memory do indeed qualify for the use of the word "dementia" (not to be confused by the disease, Alzheimer's Dementia. "Dementia" is a generic term describing such functional impairments.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:834421
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080606/msgs/834707.html