HMB300H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Postpartum Depression, Electroconvulsive Therapy, Prefrontal Cortex
Document Summary
Lecture 4: depression, anxiety and why it matter: small increases consistently found in glucocorticoid levels in depressed individuals. Hormonal changes can mimic depression do not respond to medicine: depression shown in some animal models not normally depressed by injection of high levels of glucocorticoids (corticosteroids) Immobility, decreased responding in an operant conditioning task of motivation. Motor and motivational circuits: birth and post-partum depression associated with different hormonal changes, different times of period (depression associated, menarche to menopause greatest risk. Changes in mood accompanied by menstrual cycle. Start at around age 15 and end at about 44. Current treatments: antidepressant medications are the first line of defence. May or may not work for large populations: psychotherapies, combined medication/psychotherapy. Hospitalization: symptoms of major depression include, disruption of basic drives (eating and sleeping, cognitive disturbances (ruminations, guilt, indecisiveness, persistent thoughts of suicide) Are associated with areas in the prefrontal lobe.
