Posted by linkadge on October 8, 2017, at 18:42:12
In reply to Re: Kindling?, posted by phidippus on October 8, 2017, at 14:43:08
Yeah, I think that 'kindling' in mood disorders is a theoretical explanation for why some people's disorders apparently become more chronic over time.
I think kindling refers to the notion that neurons may increasingly start to fire in a way that is more 'out of sync' with environmental triggers. i.e. a person's first depression might be in response to an environmental stressor, whereas later episodes may be more spontaneous.
Kindling is also an explanation for drug abuse and some instances of epilepsy.
I try not to think of depression in such fatalistic way. I think that if some people's depressions become more chronic, it is because the underlying cause is not being addressed.
For example, inflammation is something that only certainly antidepressants target. Some actually increase inflammation, which may lead to reduced inhibitory neurotransmission over time.
From my reading, a fairly routine finding in depression research is a deficit of inhibitory neurotransmission. Many antidepressants are supposed to correct this by altering monoamine neurotransmission, but this apparently doesn't occur in a subset of patients.Nutritional deficiencies (i.e. magnesium, zinc etc) can cause 'kindling like' states in animal models of depression. Enhancing GABAergic function tends to do the opposite. Also, some antidepressants suppress melatonin and / or deep sleep which has an anticonvulsant effect.
To be honest, despite a variety of risk factors and a family history of chronic worsening mood disorders, my mood disorder has actually become less chronic over time.
Yes, my episodes were much more frequent when I was younger (in my teens and 20's).
I have got better by reducing the number of medications I take, adding lithium, focusing on superb nutrition, exercise, sleep, certain lifestyle and employment changes. None of this happened immediately. Actually, I give credit to lithium to helping me see more clearly many of the behaviors I was engaging in which were actually increasing stress and adding to my problems.
Many of the anticonvulsants have anti-kindling effects, which may contribute to their effects in treatment resistant depression.
poster:linkadge
thread:1095332
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20161215/msgs/1095336.html