One of your patients, 31 year-old Samual Weiss, is suffering from depression. Yo
ID: 3463500 • Letter: O
Question
One of your patients, 31 year-old Samual Weiss, is suffering from depression. You confirm your supposition by administering a dexamethasone suppression test. Describe/depict the hypothetical findings obtained using the dexamethasone test that let you to your diagnosis. Then, offer a brief statement on the implications that your results and conclusion have for the etiology (i.e. cause) of depression. One of your patients, 31 year-old Samual Weiss, is suffering from depression. You confirm your supposition by administering a dexamethasone suppression test. Describe/depict the hypothetical findings obtained using the dexamethasone test that let you to your diagnosis. Then, offer a brief statement on the implications that your results and conclusion have for the etiology (i.e. cause) of depression.Explanation / Answer
Norepinephrine appears to inhibit hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor, thus decreasing ACTH secretion by the pituitary and, in turn, cortisol secretion by the adrenal glands. Thus, a deficiency in brain norepinephrine may lead to both depressive symptoms and increased adrenal cortisol production. Episodes of cortisol secretion are longer and more frequent in depressed patients, and the circadian rhythm of cortisol release is altered.
Hypothesis- there was a significant low level of brain norepinehprine in the client.
The results reveal that depression has a biological cause.Although brain chemicals are certainly part of the cause, this explanation is too simple. Even just considering the biological dimension of depression, the brain has multiple layers of issues that are involved.
Depression has been linked to problems or imbalances in the brain, specifically with the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
The neurotransmitter serotonin is involved in controlling many important bodily functions, including sleep, aggression, eating, sexual behavior, and mood. Serotonin is produced by serotonergic neurons. Current research suggests that a decrease in the production of serotonin by these neurons can cause depression in some people, and more specifically, a mood state that can cause some people to feel suicidal.
In the 1960s, the "catecholamine hypothesis" was a popular explanation for why people developed depression. This hypothesis suggested that a deficiency of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) in certain areas of the brain was responsible for creating depressed mood. More recent research suggests that there is a group of people with depression who have low levels of norepinephrine.
The neurotransmitter dopamine is also linked to depression. Dopamine plays an important role in controlling our drive to seek out rewards, as well as our ability to obtain a sense of pleasure. Low dopamine levels may, in part, explain why people with depression don't get the same sense of pleasure out of activities or people that they did before becoming depressed.
In addition, new studies are showing that other neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, glutamate, and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) can also play a role in depressive disorders. More research is necessary to understand their role in depression's brain chemistry.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.