Scans show depressed people have fewer serotonin and opioid receptors, and that variation is linked to symptoms and treatment response

Study leader, Jon-Kar Zubieta, M.D., Ph.D., tells us:

“There’s a substantial amount of biological difference even among people who have major depression, which is just as important as the biological differences between people with depression and people without,” he says. “The more we can understand about these differences, the better we can address treatment to the individual and have the greatest effect on symptoms.” http://www.depressioncenter.org/news..._diversity.asp

The difference in receptors may account for the variation in treatment results:

This finding of individual variation may help explain why in current depression treatment, some patients find great relief from a medication that doesn’t help other equally depressed patients, says Zubieta, who is the Phil F. Jenkins Research Professor of Depression in the U-M Department of Psychiatry. He also holds positions in the U-M Nuclear Medicine division, and the Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute.

There seems to be progress in identifying the brain mechanisms in the depression etiology. I have been less successful in finding new ideas for treating the environmental circumstances that contribute to illnesses.

[SophiaG]

That's awesome they're doing that.

[Shadow-world]

Yes, I agree with you SophiaG, the more research they do the more evidence they have on the etiology and presentation of the condition, which in turn should advance treatment methods.
Thanks for posting this, TheByzantine.