An Unexpected Group of Neurons Could Contribute to Depression
In mice, stress affects these neurons, leading to depressive-like behaviors
Food and mood are inextricably linked in many different cultures. Hanger describes how irritable we become when hungry. In the brain, a lot of different foods associate with feelings of reward and other emotions. Your favourite childhood foods might give you a sense of comfort. But could the brain cells that control our appetite contribute to depressive symptoms?
In the brain, our prefrontal cortex and hippocampus process emotions and memories. Depression hijacks these brain circuits. Thus it is the focus of a lot of research into the mechanisms and treatment of depression. But, many people with depression do not respond to their first treatment. Many still are unable to achieve complete remission from their symptoms. There are missing pieces to the puzzle. Enter the metabolic and feeding center of the brain: the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus consists of highly-specialized hubs to process aspects of our metabolism. It is also an important player in the brain’s stress axis. The arcuate nucleus, for example, activates in response to hunger. When you’re hungry, the neuronal cells fire. When you’re overfed or satiated, these cells stop firing. These cells also fire in…
