Posted by SLS on November 20, 2009, at 6:29:40
In reply to Re: Severity of depression = cognitive impairment, posted by bleauberry on November 20, 2009, at 4:52:36
> Since cognitive impairment...brain fog I call it...is extremely common in CFS, FM, Lyme, candida, hypoadrenalism, heavy metal burden,and other mysterious conditions, and it is almost always teamed up with depression, it does not surprise me that the two go together. They are both extremely common in other diseases besides the cluster of symptoms we call depression.
>
> Absolutely no scientific basis for my comments here, but I think where there is depression without marked cognitive issues, that directs the diagnosis away from a physical disease and toward a brain disease. Where there is marked cognitive impairment, physical causes of both the depression and the impairment must be investigated deeply and creatively at the same time symptomatic treatment is attempted.
Conjecture can be a good thing.I agree with you that psychiatrists generally do not employ a battery of tests in order to rule out conditions other than the described mental illnesses. It is probably a good idea to go to a general practitioner early to screen for other conditions.
Regarding the "brain-fog" and "zombie" complaints of people with depression, I am quite confident that these are a common symptom of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.
Think of someone who is in a drunken stupor. The biology behind this condition is entirely neurochemical and occurs in the brain. Why should an imbalance in depression be thought of as being any different from the neurochemical imbalance created by the presence of alcohol in brain tissues?
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:926207
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091117/msgs/926309.html