Depression: The predisposing influence of stress

1982 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hymie Anisman ◽  
Robert M. Zacharko

AbstractAversive experiences have been thought to provoke or exacerbate clinical depression. The present review provides a brief survey of the stress-depression literature and suggests that the effects of stressful experiences on affective state may be related to depletion of several neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. A major element in determining the neurochemical changes is the organism's ability to cope with the aversive stimuli through behavioral means. Aversive experiences give rise to behavioral attempts to cope with the stressor, coupled with increased utilization and synthesis of brain amines to contend with environmental demands. When behavioral coping is possible, neurochemical systems are not overly taxed, and behavioral pathology will not ensue. However, when there can be no behavioral control over the stressful stimuli, or when the aversive experience is perceived as uncontrollable, increased emphasis is placed on coping through endogenous neurochemical mechanisms. Amine utilization increases appreciably and may exceed synthesis, resulting in a net reduction of amine stores, which in turn promotes or exacerbates affective disorder. The processes governing the depletions may be subject to sensitization or conditioning, such that exposure to traumatic experiences may have long-term repercussions when the organism subsequently encounters related stressful stimuli. With continued uncontrollable stimulation, adaptation occurs in the form of increased activity of synthetic enzymes, and levels of amines approach basal values. It is suggested that either the initial amine depletion provoked by aversive experiences or a dysfunction of the adaptive processes, resulting in persistent amine depletion, contributes to behavioral depression. Aside from the contribution of behavioral coping, several organismic, experiential, and environmental variables will influence the effects of aversive experiences on neurochemical activity, and may thus influence vulnerability to depression.

2021 ◽  
pp. 136014
Author(s):  
Daniela Silva Santos ◽  
Liciane Fernandes Medeiros ◽  
Dirson João Stein ◽  
Isabel Cristina De Macedo ◽  
Diego Evandro Da Silva Rios ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1348-1354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Schlaeger ◽  
Christian Schindler ◽  
Leticia Grize ◽  
Sophie Dellas ◽  
Ernst W Radue ◽  
...  

Background: The development of predictors of multiple sclerosis (MS) disability is difficult due to the complex interplay of pathophysiological and adaptive processes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether combined evoked potential (EP)-measures allow prediction of MS disability after 20 years. Methods: We examined 28 patients with clinically definite MS according to Poser’s criteria with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, combined visual and motor EPs at entry (T0), 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 24 (T3) months, and a cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at T0 and T2. EDSS testing was repeated at year 14 (T4) and year 20 (T5). Spearman rank correlation was used. We performed a multivariable regression analysis to examine predictive relationships of the sum of z-transformed EP latencies ( s-EPT0) and other baseline variables with EDSST5. Results: We found that s-EPT0 correlated with EDSST5 (rho=0.72, p<0.0001) and ΔEDSST5-T0 (rho=0.50, p=0.006). Backward selection resulted in the prediction model: E (EDSST5)=3.91–2.22×therapy+0.079×age+0.057× s-EPT0 (Model 1, R2=0.58) with therapy as binary variable (1=any disease-modifying therapy between T3 and T5, 0=no therapy). Neither EDSST0 nor T2-lesion or gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing lesion quantities at T0 improved prediction of EDSST5. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.89 for model 1. Conclusions: These results further support a role for combined EP-measures as predictors of long-term disability in MS.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Garmendia ◽  
Hugo Merle ◽  
Pablo Ruiz ◽  
Maria Ferriol

Although polyploidy is considered a ubiquitous process in plants, the establishment of new polyploid species may be hindered by ecological competition with parental diploid taxa. In such cases, the adaptive processes that result in the ecological divergence of diploids and polyploids can lead to their co-existence. In contrast, non-adaptive processes can lead to the co-existence of diploids and polyploids or to differentiated distributions, particularly when the minority cytotype disadvantage effect comes into play. Although large-scale studies of cytotype distributions have been widely conducted, the segregation of sympatric cytotypes on fine scales has been poorly studied. We analysed the spatial distribution and ecological requirements of the tetraploidCentaurea seridisand the diploidCentaurea asperain east Spain on a large scale, and also microspatially in contact zones where both species hybridise and give rise to sterile triploid hybrids. On the fine scale, the position of eachCentaureaindividual was recorded along with soil parameters, accompanying species cover and plant richness. On the east Spanish coast, a slight latitudinal gradient was found. TetraploidC. seridisindividuals were located northerly and diploidC. asperaindividuals southerly. Tetraploids were found only in the habitats with strong anthropogenic disturbance. In disturbed locations with well-developed semi-fixed or fixed dunes, diploids and tetraploids could co-exist and hybridise. However, on a fine scale, although taxa were spatially segregated in contact zones, they were not ecologically differentiated. This finding suggests the existence of non-adaptive processes that have led to their co-existence. Triploid hybrids were closer to diploid allogamous mothers (C. aspera) than to tetraploid autogamous fathers (C. seridis). This may result in a better ability to compete for space in the tetraploid minor cytotype, which might facilitate its long-term persistence.


2020 ◽  
pp. 18-26
Author(s):  
V.S. Kopcha

BACKGROUND. By defining the cornerstone of sepsis as the “systemic” of the inflammatory response in the form of cytokine violations, the authors of the corresponding concept are forced to recognize the etiological factors almost all pathogens of infectious diseases, which naturally go with the increased activity of cytokines in serum. Without diminishing the importance of these components of inflammation, one should pay attention to the postulate that not only viruses and protozoa never cause sepsis, but also all non-bacterial pathogens are not etiological factors of this disease, although they lead to severe systemic reactions accompanied by an increase in the level of proinflammatory cytokines. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of the work is to draw the attention of physicians to the discrepancy between the new notions about sepsis imposed on the medical community and accepted not only by anesthetists, resuscitative surgeons and surgeons, but also by many infectionists. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A detailed analysis of the clinical case of sepsis in a young woman is presented, which, due to adequate surgical and long-term conservative therapy, has safely recovered. CONCLUSIONS. Sepsis is a generalized acyclic infectious disease of the bacterial and/or fungal etiology that develops in an immunodeficient organism with characteristic pathomorphological and pathologist changes in organs and tissues.


Author(s):  
Mike Szymanski ◽  
Erik Schindler

Organizational trauma is traditionally associated with negative effects on organizational behavior and performance. In this chapter the authors seek to answer the question how organizational trauma, and in particular near-death experiences, can positively influence organizational culture in the long term. In doing so, the authors briefly review the recent literature on organizational trauma and near death experiences, and discuss how these negative traumatic experiences can turn into prosocial organizational behaviour. The authors then present three case studies to illustrate how an organization can manage to incorporate near death experiences into its organizational culture in a positive way.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 2537-2545
Author(s):  
Gülseren Keskin

Background: Stress can be defined as an acute threat to the homeostasis of an organism, and in order to manage stress, and maintain stability, the allostatic systems activate an adaptive response. Stress has been shown to have both short - and long-term effects on the function of the gastrointestinal tract, but long-term exposure to stress is more likely to cause endocrine disorders.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the endocrine response to stress, and evaluate the relationship between somatization and gastrointestinal symptoms.Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on several academic databases, which included, Pubmed, EBSCO and Science Direct. The search was performed using the keywords, “endocrine response to stress”, “somatization” and “gastrointestinal symptoms”. Results: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is essential in controlling physiological stress responses. Dysfunction is related to several mental disorders, including anxiety and depression, or somatization. Symptoms associated with genetic, or other traumatic experiences of individuals under stress, can lead to a maladaptive response to stress. These stressful life events were found to be associated with digestive system-related chronic diseases. Gastrointestinal disorders significantly affect millions of people worldwide. Conclusion: This study examined how the endocrine system responds to stress, and the effect this has in causing stress-related gastrointestinal distresses. Our findings indicate that stress-related psychological disorders are strongly associated with the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms.Keywords: Stress, endocrine response, somatization, gastrointestinal symptoms.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 83 (11) ◽  
pp. 3146-3151 ◽  
Author(s):  
DE Harrison ◽  
KM Zsebo ◽  
CM Astle

Abstract To test whether primitive hematopoietic stem cells (PHSCs) are stimulated by Steel (SI) factor (c-kit ligand) in vivo, donor mice were studied after three or seven daily injections of SI factor. PHSC activity was measured as long-term erythroid and lymphoid competitive repopulating ability. Cells to be tested (usually marrow or spleen cells from treated donors) were mixed with untreated competitor marrow that produces erythrocytes and lymphocytes that are genetically distinguishable from the donors by differences in hemoglobin (Hb) and glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI) markers. These cell mixtures were injected into lethally irradiated hosts, and after 111 to 293 days, functional abilities of donor PHSC populations were assessed and expressed as percentages of donor-type Hb and GPI in the host's circulating erythrocytes and lymphocytes, respectively. A striking increase in splenic PHSC activity occurred after seven daily injections of SI factor, with a much smaller increase after three daily injections. Both three and seven daily injections of SI factor slightly reduced marrow PHSC activity. Rapid cycling greatly increases PHSC vulnerability to 5-fluorouracil (5FU). To test whether SI factor stimulates PHSCs into rapid cycling, donor mice were given a dose of 5FU in addition to SI factor. The increase in splenic PHSCs after 7 days of treatment with SI factor occurred to a similar degree whether donors were or were not treated with 5FU on day 8. However, a dose of 5FU on day 4 of the SI factor treatments almost totally prevented the increase in splenic PHSC activity. Apparently this increased activity requires PHSC cycling throughout the period of SI factor treatment.


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