Courtesy of PsychCentral

Stress, Depression Reduce Brain Volume Thanks to Genetic ‘Switch’

By Rick Nauert PhDSenior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 13, 2012

Scientists have known that stress and depression can cause the brain to retract or lose volume, a condition associated with both emotional and cognitive impairment. Now, a new study discovers why this occurs.
Yale scientists have found that the deactivation of a single genetic switch can instigate a cascading loss of brain connections in humans and depression in animal models.
Researchers say the genetic switch, known as a transcription factor, represses the expression of several genes that are necessary for the formation of synaptic connections between brain cells. The loss of connections, in turn, can contribute to loss of brain mass in the prefrontal cortex, say the scientists.
“We wanted to test the idea that stress causes a loss of brain synapses in humans,” said senior author Ronald Duman, Ph.D. “We show that circuits normally involved in emotion, as well as cognition, are disrupted when this single transcription factor is activated.”
In the study, the research team analyzed tissue of depressed and non-depressed patients donated from a brain bank and looked for different patterns of gene activation.
The brains of patients who had been depressed exhibited lower levels of expression in genes that are required for the function and structure of brain synapses.
Lead author and postdoctoral researcher H.J. Kang, Ph.D., discovered that at least five of these genes could be regulated by a single transcription factor called GATA1.
When the transcription factor was activated in animal models, rodents exhibited depressive-like symptoms, suggesting GATA1 plays a role not only in the loss of connections between neurons but also in symptoms of depression.
This finding of genetic variations in GATA1 may help researchers identify people at high risk for major depression or sensitivity to stress.
“We hope that by enhancing synaptic connections, either with novel medications or behavioral therapy, we can develop more effective antidepressant therapies,” Duman said.

How to recognize a stroke!

The Most Common Stroke Symptoms

How do you know if someone is having a stroke? Here are the most common signs of stroke in both men and women:

·         Numbness. You may suddenly feel weak or numb in your face, arm, or leg. Typically the weakness is on one side of your body, you also may feel numbness around your mouth.

·         Speech problems. You may have trouble talking. Your speech may be slurred or you may not be able to speak at all,

·         Confusion. You may become confused and have trouble understanding what people are saying to you.

·         Vision problems. You may experience double vision or difficulty seeing out of one or both eyes. It can seem like a shade has been drawn over one eye.

·         Dizziness. You may feel dizzy and have trouble with balance and coordination. You walk like you’re suddenly drunk.

·         Head pain. You may have a headache that comes on suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue. Your severe head pain may be accompanied by vomiting.

The National Stroke Association says a good way to recognize the warning signs of stroke in another person is to think “FAST”:

·         F is for face. See if one side of the face droops when you ask that person to smile.

·         A is for arms. When trying to raise both arms, does one drift downward?

·         S is for speech. Is the person speaking clearly or is there slurring?

·         T is for time. If you observe any of these signs, immediately go to the ER for an evaluation. The sooner the person gets treated, the lower the risk of permanent damage.

Stroke Symptoms Unique to Women

Women may experience any of the most common signs of stroke listed above for both genders, but they are also likely to experience a unique set of symptoms that come on suddenly, including:

·         Hiccups

·         Nausea

·         Chest pain

·         Shortness of breath

·         Racing of the heart or heart palpitations

·         Fainting or loss of consciousness