Hi! It’s Andreas, the Norwegian MD/PhD intern at SharpBrains.

Last week Alvaro wrote about how people with low stress levels are better able to tolerate age-related changes in the brain. The other side of the coin, as mentioned today in the Wall Street Journal, is that chronic stress is a risk factor of dementia and might be related to harmful stress hormones called glucocorticoids.

So why do we have glucocorticoids? Well, they are steroids produced to help us manage short-term periods of stress. However, long-term release may erode pathways (connetions) between brain cells and can potentially accelerate cognitive decline.

Why is this relevant to all of us? Because depression can be seen as a chronic state of brain stress, and explain why stress management is important. Studies now show that depression may actually damage brain structures responsible for memory. The findings from a study in Archives of General Psychiatry showed patients with a history of depression are more likely to suffer from cognitive problems later in life, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. As the journalist writes, “In findings that highlight the importance of mood and stress to maintaining a healthy brain, researchers and psychiatrists say that a bout of depression may raise the risks of developing dementia later in life.”

In some cases, patients with untreated depression exhibit an 10% volume reduction of the brain’s memory center, the hippocampus, according to one study.

More than just the everyday blues, clinical depression affects about 17.6 million Americans each year. Fortunately it can be treated by medication and cognitive therapy (in essense, brain training to create a more realistic and positive outlook and thought pool). There is actually evidence suggesting that, for this group, antidepressants as well as brain exercise can provoke neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons). However, it’s still unclear yet whether such neurogenesis can actually prevent dementia or simply delay it.

Stress management is a vital part of Brain Fitness. Alvaro wrote an interesting post on a stress management workshop he led. I’ve also added a link on stress and short-term memory.

If you want to learn more about depression, check out WebMD’s Depression Center, which has some good video interviews with leading experts.

Now let’s change the topic to a more uplifting matter…enjoy the July 4th fireworks!