Molecular Changes in Brains of Depressed Women

Researchers from the University of Pittsburg in the United States have found molecular changes in the brains of women who are depressed, leading to hopes of better understanding of mental illnesses in future.

The National Institute of Mental Health funded study included 21 women who were suffering from depression and 21 women with no history of depression.

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The researchers analyzed the post-mortem brain tissue samples and found that those who suffered from depression showed pattern of reduced expression of certain genes in a region of brain known as amygdala, which is responsible for sensing and expressing emotion.

“It seemed to us that if there were molecular changes in the depressed brain, we might be able to better identify them in samples that come from females. Indeed, our findings give us a better understanding of the biology of this common and often debilitating psychiatric illness”, lead researcher Etienne Sibille wrote in the study that has been published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Source-Medindia

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