Posted by BarbaraCat on May 13, 2004, at 18:38:58
In reply to Re: Amygdala » BarbaraCat, posted by LOOPS on May 13, 2004, at 9:47:33
> Hi -can someone please explain this thing about amygdalas and anxiety, and why fish oil and inositol / lecithin works? Is the amygdala the only part of the brain involved, or the most important?
>
**Hi Loops, there are some in-depth links at the end of this, but in brief, the amygdala is only one part of the limbic system, the brain's emotional center, but it's a big player. The amygdala seems to be involved in remembering past traumas, probably for survival reasons. It has a strong one-way communication to the brain's reasoning centers, i.e., images of fear and danger are transmitted very easily and viscerally to the higher cortex. Unfortunately, the amygdala does not understand the higher cortex's rational messages back to it (no, silly, there is no sabre-tooth tiger chasing us), but these soothing messages could be recognized by other physiologic systems, i.e., the autonomic nervous system. In mood disorders there seems to be structural changes in these brain centers and if the amygdala is not functioning optimally it can get stuck in an atrophied fear loop and if the frontal cortex is not functioning properly, the soothing messages don't get manufactured.As far as fish oil, I'd guess that since it has a healing role in neuron/cell membrane functioning it might help repair some of this damage. The neurons are able to do their work better because fish oil, among other things, makes the cell membrane more pliable and healthy and allows the receptors to 'float' more smoothly within the membrane. Inositol seems to increase the efficiency of the 'second messenger system' within the neuron's nucleus and help with the genetic processing inside the cell.
These nutrients have a healing effect within the cell itself rather than addressing only the neuro-chemicals, as do SSRI's. Anything that helps the neurons get healthy and function better is going to help the entire brain work better. Sigh, can't wait.
Here's a good article on the amygdala:
http://www.designandcopy.ca/lifeline/backissues/5-2.html
This website requires a one-time free registration but it's a pretty good website and this is a good article:
http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2001/oct/research2_011001.html
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:342024
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040418/msgs/346561.html