Cure Depression, Lock, Shock and Barrel

How does anti-depression therapy work? New evidence shows that effective therapy can turn on the genes responsible for nerve growth in brain cells.

How does anti-depression therapy work? New evidence shows that effective therapy can turn on the genes responsible for nerve growth in brain cells.

As a result, the brain literally grows: nerve cells sprout new branches, connections between neurons flourish, you learn and adapt more easily and regain behavioural flexibility.
Antidepressants kick off a transient increase in neurotransmitter chemicals, which function as messengers between adjacent nerve cells. The critical neurotransmitters for a patient of depression are: serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
The receiving cells detect them with receptors that sit on the fat-rich surface of the brain cells and are coupled with a protein inside the cells. The protein then activates a cascade of signals inside the cell resulting in an increase in the specific growth factor called BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
Interestingly, the treatment that produces the largest increase in BDNF isn’t a drug at all. It’s electroshock therapy.

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