The latest findings done by
researchers and reported in annual reports of the journal Nature Medicine
discovered that the reason behind shrinking brain is a single genetic switch,
which is responsible for the depression and loss of brain connection
in both humans and animals. The transcription factor referred to as the genetic
switch in above statement represses the genes expression necessary for building
up the synaptic connections among various brain cells. Thus, resulting in loss
of brain mass.
As per the author Ronald Duman, Professor of Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Psychiatry at Yale University, the
idea behind this research is to build the connection that stress is the major
contributor towards loss of brain synapses. He added that the study
revealed that circuits or the junction of nerve cells are involved in cognition
as well as emotional behavior of the human being, which gets disrupted when the
genetic switch is activated.
The research team involved in
the research process has analyzed the donated brain tissues of both depressed and
non-depressed patients and looked for changed patterns of the activated genes.
The brain tissues of the depressed patients exhibited lowered levels of gene
expressions required for the structure and function of brain synapses.
Hence, it becomes even more
important to get your stressed or depressed condition diagnosed from a
specialist before it gets out of hand.
Written By: Dr. Harman
