PSYCH 3EV3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Methylation, Innate Immune System, Immunodeficiency
18 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
Depression first evolved in response to infection or starvation. Melancholia evolved subsequently and coopted sickness behaviour machinery (evidence for this is in overlapping symptoms and genes) But this machinery was also modified by natural selection (evidence for modification is in the symptomatic differences) Depressive symptoms evolved to help promote a reallocation of energy in response to persistent stressors, such as infection, starvation and complex social problems. Associated with traumatic events, involves intrusive thoughts about event, avoidant behaviours, depression, fear, anxiety, distress and impairment. Do not occur across dna strands, but within a single strand they are common sites of epigenetic effects. The genes which are uniquely turned on in the ptsd group are the inflammatory response, immune response and innate immune response genes. Therefore, all genes which are uniquely turned on in ptsd are all related to the immune system. Although immune genes are activated, individuals with ptsd appear to be immunocompromised.
