How does depression change the structure of the brain?

There’s growing evidence that several parts of the brain shrink in people with depression. Specifically, these areas lose gray matter volume (GMV). That’s tissue with a lot of brain cells. GMV loss seems to be higher in people who have regular or ongoing depression with serious symptoms.

Is your brain different if you have depression?

The Difference Between a Depressed Brain vs. When comparing a depressed brain versus a normal brain, scientists have found some subtle but important differences including grey matter abnormalities, brain shrinkage, and a more active amygdala in depressed brains.

How does anxiety and depression affect the brain?

Anxiety and Depression Can Cause Brain Cells to Malfunction When your brain is in a constant state of stress or anxiety, the stems cells in your brain may begin to malfunction. When anxiety causes these cells to malfunction, the connection between the hippocampus and the amygdala becomes extremely rigid.

Which part of the brain is affected by depression?

Areas that play a significant role in depression are the amygdala, the thalamus, and the hippocampus (see Figure 1). Research shows that the hippocampus is smaller in some depressed people.

How is the hippocampus affected by depression?

The hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and emotion, shrinks in people with recurrent and poorly treated depression, a global study has found.

How is depression in the brain measured?

MRI Scans May Pick Up Brain Abnormalities in People with Depression

1. In a new study, researchers say MRI scans have detected a biomarker involving the blood-brain barrier in people with major depression.
2. In another study, researchers report that MRIs picked up abnormalities in the brains of people with major depression.

Why is the hippocampus smaller in depression?

One explanation for the relation between MDD and smaller hippocampal volumes is the neurotoxicity hypothesis (5), which suggests that prolonged exposure to glucocorticoids increases neuronal susceptibility to insults, thereby increasing the rate of damage from toxic challenges or ordinary attrition.