Can Physical Symptoms In Depression Be A Consequence Of Low Energy Production

Can Physical Symptoms In Depression Be A Consequence Of Low Energy Production Rates?
Main Category: Depression
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 28 Mar 2008 - 0:00 PDT

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101819.php

"A report in the March issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics introduces a new hypothesis on the mechanisms of physical symptoms in depression: energy production rates toward the lower end of the spectrum may predispose the individuals to develop depression and physical symptoms.

This hypothesis derives from a study performed in the Karolinska Institute. The Authors hypothesized that decreased ATP production rates in mitochondria underlie depressive disorder with very high levels of somatization. They assessed muscle mitochondria in depressed patients as well as somatic symptomatology with 3 self reported scales (Somatic Anxiety, Muscular and Psychasthenia) from the Karolinska Scales of Personality. At the end of the study, on each of the 3 Karolinska Scales of Personality, virtually every patient with very high levels of somatic symptomatology demonstrated muscle ATP production rates below the control range.

These results demonstrate that mitochondrial function correlates very strongly with self-reported data related to somatic symptoms in depressed patients.

This introduces the possibility that substances such as creatine , coenzyme Q10 and riboflavin may be of help in depression.


PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS
http://www.karger.com/pps

i dont know much technical terminolgy teejai... isnt depression kind of like a 'gateway' illness to many others? just a question if you happen to know?

I have an unusually high metabolism, which'd be great if I weren't depressed. Since I am, I have a lot of energy, going nowhere, which is very irritating. Tapping my foot a lot, that sort of thing. So I suppose it's a chicken and egg thing. Am I depressed because I have a weird metabolism, or vice-versa?

Stupid mitochondria... >=(

thats interesting Pseudonym.. i also have a high metabolism... i'm also on a light' diet... i am probably borderline starved to death lol...... well, not quite death....

but anyway... thats interesting... im sure that dietary intake 'adjusts' the finer controls on all our systems... sensitivities really would come into play...

for me, and i dont know that its the same for others, my diet is lousy, but, its kept me alive this long.... how much longer? ... i hope it's be awhile... i do intend changes...

one thing i think is interesting to think about is the manner of which body fluid travels the central nervous system...... it seems that for all systems to function well and n the most healthy manner.... that one is the one that needs the most attention....

kinda like tuning up a car... make sure all the connections are clean and the spark is good..... kinda sorta....

acupuncture, yoga, holistic meditations come to mind....

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
nowheretorun said:
i dont know much technical terminolgy teejai... isnt depression kind of like a 'gateway' illness to many others? just a question if you happen to know?

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I reckon your right. Autoimmune and affective disorders ?

ok... without looking....

auto.... "self- operated"

immune.. seld defending...

affective... of the 'affect'

disorder... not healthy..

adds up to= a natural state of being vs. an unhealthy state...

a dichotomy? a paradox? it is a duality describing a division in a whole....

the whole would be all combined.... its healthiest condition would be 'autoimmune'? perhaps....

Autoimmune is a type of disease that's caused by the immune system fighting the working, good parts of the body instead of the disease and wear. At least that's what House tells me

I'm trying to change my diet, too, but it's weird. I'm very very skinny, despite my low exercise level, so I don't really know which way to go... More red meat? More carbs? What does one do in this situation?

Maybe I'll just get an IV glucose drip and not worry about it.

that 'auto-immune disease' sounds like a horrible one alright.. should have looked it up

and... i relate on the skinny... im going to start gorging on farm food when im able....

well... prolly should think about that one more too....

take care guys..

Autoimmune diseases ought to sound scary- That's what AIDS is.

What we know about Mitochondria:
We've only just begun to understand mitochondria. We know that they produce the ATP responsible for keeping us alive. We know that they don't produce it completely efficiently, because they also create a by-product of free radicals- oxygen ions that attach to molecules they shouldn't, thus causing cell deterioration, which causes aging. (The greatest irony of life- that which we need most to survive is also that which is slowly killing us.)

We know that mitochondria have their own DNA, separate from ours, and while you can identify a person via mitochondrial DNA, it's no where near as accurate. It has been theorized that mitochondria may in fact be a separate organism that evolved with us into a symbiotic relationship, however this theory is as yet unsupported.

As a side note, mitochondria are the inspiration for George Lucas's midichlorines (sp?), the tiny organisms that connect all living things to the Force. Cool, huh?

Mitochondrial related illnesses are extremely difficult to treat because the nature of mitochondria is still somewhat of a mystery.

It's possible that less efficient mitochondria may contribute to or even cause depression. It's also possible that the reverse is true. All such research needs to be repeated and tweaked on a wide scale with the same result before either can be confirmed.

Also, metabolism and mitochondria are only mildly related. The rate of metabolism is the net result of all chemical reactions occurring in your body at a given moment. The reactions in your mitochondria are only one part.

And here I thought my studies in genetic engineering would never come into use. *shrug*

I was being "funny" but I do appreciate knowledge of all things scientific, and so thank you. =)