Neuroscientists look at brain stimulation as an alternative treatment for depression

( Natural News ) In search of a way to treat depression, Philadelphia-based neuroscientists found a pathway in the brain circuitry of mice, and reported that stimulating this path causes animals to take up “anti-depressive” behavior. According to an article in Medical Xpress , this discovery could lead to brain stimulation as way to alter depression in humans. Dr. Amelia J. Eisch of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) explained that major depressive disorder is a global health concern. While current treatments do work for many patients, they also have adverse side effects. Furthermore, the patients often end up getting depressed again. The current school of thought in neuroscience is that malfunctions in the circuitry of the brain lead to depression. Therefore, Eisch and her colleagues theorized the possibility of targeted treatment of the disorder by tuning a particular circuit. Eisch and her co-author, Dr. Sanghee Yun from CHOP’s Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, published the results of their study in the online journal Nature Medicine . Suppressing a protein in the entorhinal cortex increased brain stimulation In their study, the CHOP researchers experimented with the brain circuit called the entorhinal cortex (Ent). Their objectives were to investigate depressive-like behavior in addition to memory. The Ent circuit is located “upstream” of the hippocampus, an organ that controls memory and mood. Earlier experiments on animals and humans have shown that stimulating it enhanced memory and learning capacity. Study author Yun said their research group was the first to look for links between Ent stimulation and mood shifts. Get CLEAN FOOD and help support our mission to keep you informed : The Health Ranger Store lab verifies everything we sell with accredited testing for heavy metals, microbiology and food safety. Certified organic facility, ISO-accredited on-site laboratory, no GMOs or synthetic […]

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