RE: Re: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

[Guest guest]

Thank you

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

[Guest guest]

My take on it, is that I like things that

are evidence based and as this article speaks for itself…I don’t

really need to anything.

I have always believed the brain is too

complex (and people’s experiences are so individualistic) that one

medication is not the answer. Sometimes is like taking a hammer to try and fix

a tv. :>)

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

[Guest guest]

My take on it, is that I like things that

are evidence based and as this article speaks for itself…I don’t

really need to anything.

I have always believed the brain is too

complex (and people’s experiences are so individualistic) that one

medication is not the answer. Sometimes is like taking a hammer to try and fix

a tv. :>)

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

[Guest guest]

My take on it, is that I like things that

are evidence based and as this article speaks for itself…I don’t

really need to anything.

I have always believed the brain is too

complex (and people’s experiences are so individualistic) that one

medication is not the answer. Sometimes is like taking a hammer to try and fix

a tv. :>)

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

[Guest guest]

My take on it, is that I like things that

are evidence based and as this article speaks for itself…I don’t

really need to anything.

I have always believed the brain is too

complex (and people’s experiences are so individualistic) that one

medication is not the answer. Sometimes is like taking a hammer to try and fix

a tv. :>)

From:

SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

On Behalf Of jeremy9282

Sent: 23 July 2010 17:46

SSRI medications

Subject: Re:

Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

URL for Mandy, sorry I had put it at the bottom of my post rather than at the

top. Look forward to seeing your take on it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>

> This makes for interesting reading, .

>

>

>

> Is there a link to this ..was it a story in a magazine?

>

>

>

> Would like to do something around this on my blog.

>

>

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

> Mandy

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: SSRI medications

[mailto:SSRI medications ]

> On Behalf Of jeremy9282

> Sent: 23 July 2010 09:46

> SSRI medications

> Subject: Serotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of

> depression

>

>

>

>

>

> erotonin cell discoveries mean rethink of depression

>

> * 22 July 2010 by Geddes

> * Magazine issue 2770. Subscribe and save

> * For similar stories, visit the Mental Health and The Human Brain

> Topic Guides

>

> IF YOU thought depression was caused by low serotonin levels, think again.

> It looks as if the brain chemistry of a depressed person is much more

> complex, with mounting evidence suggesting that too much serotonin in some

> brain regions is to blame.

>

> If correct, it might explain some of the negative side-effects associated

> with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants

like

> Prozac which increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in some

> parts of the brain.

>

> The traditional view of depression was largely based on the observation

that

> SSRIs boost mood- although why they do so is unknown. " Because

> antidepressants increase serotonin in some parts of the brain, people

> assumed that depression must be the result of low serotonin levels, "

says

> <http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/faculty/lowry.html>

Lowry of

> the University of Boulder in Colorado.

But the discovery of multiple types

> of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain, along with high levels of

> serotonin recorded in people with depression, is prompting a rethink.

>

> " What's more likely is that there are subgroups of serotonin neurons

that

> are overactive in depressed patients, rather than underactive as we have

all

> been assuming, " says Lowry.

>

>

>

> One of the first clues that something might be amiss with the traditional

> theory came three years ago, when Murray Esler at the Baker Heart Research

> Institute in Melbourne,

Australia, and

colleagues found that the level of

> serotonin in the brains of people with panic disorder was four times

higher

> than in healthy volunteers ( <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890701300904>

> Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701300904), and in depressed people who

were

> not receiving treatment it was two times higher than in volunteers (

> <http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/1/38?maxtoshow= & hits=1

> 0 & RESULTFORMAT=1 & andorexacttitle=and & andorexacttitleabs=and & andorexactfullte

> xt=and & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & sortspec=relevance & volume=65 & firstpage=38 & res

> ourcetype=HWCIT> Archives of General Psychiatry, vol 65, p 38). They

also

> showed that long-term use of SSRIs in people with depression and panic

> disorder seemed to decrease serotonin levels through an as yet

unidentified

> mechanism.

>

> Now, in studies of rats and mice, Lowry has found that there are multiple

> types of serotonin neurons that can be independently regulated. He

presented

> his results at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Amsterdam, the

> Netherlands,

last week.

>

> This fits well with findings from other groups that there are two types of

> serotonin receptor in the amygdala, a brain region linked to emotion and

> anxiety: 5-HT2A receptors that inhibit anxiety, and 5-HT2C receptors that

> promote it. The roles of the receptors were identified by injecting drugs

> that either stimulated or inhibited each receptor and observing the

animals'

> behavioural response.

>

> Together, the findings might mean that while high levels of serotonin in

> some brain regions like the prefrontal cortex can lead to improved mood,

> high serotonin in other regions could have negative effects.

>

> Evidence for this idea comes from Forster at the University of South

> Dakota in Vermillion and colleagues, who injected a stress-related

molecule

> into the brains of rats and found that it triggered two phases of

serotonin

> release. An initial wave of serotonin appeared to increase fear-like

> behaviour in the rats, while a second wave decreased this behaviour,

> possibly because it activated a brain region called the medial prefrontal

> cortex, which is associated with calming of fears (

> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.006>

Neuroscience, vol

> 141, p 1047).

>

> The new findings have implications for how SSRI drugs work. In the

> long-term, SSRIs do tend to have a calming effect, although more research

is

> needed to understand how they do this.

>

> However, in the short-term some people taking SSRIs report feeling

increased

> anxiety. This is " almost certainly due to the activation of one of

these

> groups of serotonin neurons " , says Lowry. The suicidal thoughts some

people

> taking SSRIs claim to experience may also be linked to boosting serotonin,

> as suicide is thought to be associated with increased impulsivity.

" It may

> be that certain types of SSRI are affecting these impulsivity circuits in

> the brain, " says Lowry.

>

> Learning more about these different groups of serotonin neurons could lead

> to better treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. " It might

be

> possible to design very specific drugs that can turn on or off specific

> groups of neurons that are deregulated in anxiety or depression, "

says

> Lowry.

>

>

>

>

> <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoveri

> es-mean-rethink-of-depression.html>

> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727703.300-serotonin-cell-discoverie

> s-mean-rethink-of-depression.html

>