The book "In Search of Memory" describes nerve cells or neurons that represent the basic signaling components in the brain. A synapse is the space between two nerve cells. Chemicals called neurotransmitters leave one nerve cell at the synapse...
According to MedlinePlus, approximately 19 million adults in the United States are affected by depression each year. Depression can cause an extremely low mood, as well as feelings of worthlessness and a loss of pleasure in everyday activities....
Chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, play a role in depression. Sometimes, the chemicals become imbalanced, causing depressive symptoms to arise. Although there are several reasons a person can become depressed, this is the biological...
In addition to providing numerous health benefits, getting regular exercise is a good way to prevent or relieve mild-to-moderate depression. According to MayoClinic.com, getting just 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, three to five times per week,...
According to the World Health Organization, depression, anxiety and other mood disorders are the most prevalent causes of chronic illness in the world. A mood disorder can be debilitating and emotionally painful. Fortunately, there are medical and...
Fluctuations of chemicals that occur in the brain affect how it operates. These chemicals have many different functions. According to InteliHealth.com they send messages, open and close gates in cells and regulate production of proteins. An excess...
The causes of depression and anxiety disorders are not fully known, but it is believed that electrochemical processes in the brain are involved along with the psychological factors. Depression may be involved in an abnormal process delivering...
It's not clear whether depression is a symptom or a by-product of menopause; however, a strong connection exists. The complexity of chemical and hormonal changes that occur throughout menopause, along with a postmenopausal woman's life changes,...
Calcium channel blockers are drugs that are often prescribed to treat certain cardiovascular conditions, such as high blood pressure. High blood pressure can be dangerous because it puts extra strain on the heart and increases a person's risk of...
Alterations of chemicals in the brain are responsible for triggering depression. Researchers have worked hard to understand the complexity associated with hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain and how depression is triggered, made worse, and...
Brain fog is a common problem, according to Dr. Lawrence Wilson, a medical doctor and nutrition consultant who is also president of The Center for Development, of Prescott, Arizona. Brain fog symptoms are associated with several medical conditions...
There are chemicals in the body that work within brain regions to regulate mood and behavior. In depressed patients, there are imbalances of certain chemicals. Thus, depression can be explained in part by biochemical causes. There is also some...
Imagine being so tired, sad and full of despair that you are unable to lift yourself up out of bed. This describes the feelings of an individual with depression. Depressed individuals complain of irritability, sleep problems, poor appetite, mood...
Brain fog symptoms include forgetfulness, confusion and the inability to think clearly or focus. Some causes may be food reactions, nutritional deficits, hypoglycemia, candida or mineral toxicity. Brain fog describes the experience of feeling like...
If you have problems with weight gain, examine your diet. Carbohydrates can cause weight gain and other serious conditions such as diabetes and depression. Carbohydrates are essentially a form of sugar and are present in many foods. Although...
B complex generally refers to supplements containing the chemically distinct B vitamins. These are vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12. They are water-soluble vitamins that are needed in a number of cellular functions throughout the body....
When a patient has mental depression, it can interfere in her life and make it difficult to function. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder are the most common forms of...
Epilepsy is defined as a condition of repeated episodes of convulsions. There are different types of epilepsy in children, from general convulsions, in which the whole body shakes, to partial or focal convulsions, in which only a specific part of...
It is a challenging proposition to live with bipolar disorder. This condition is mental illness also commonly know as manic depression. It is a brain disorder that causes such problems as severe shifts in mood with periods of deep depression and...
There are several possible causes of depression. Determining the role of neurophysiological mechanisms in depression involves primarily the structures and chemicals of the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, as well as the...
A depressed person experiences some very specific and extensive problems with memory. The American Psychological Association has acknowledged this negative problem by including impaired memory as one of the signs of clinical depression listed the...
Choline is an essential nutrient found in many foods, particularly meats, eggs and animal products. In the brain, choline is a precursor to acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter. Choline-deficiency may increase the risk for liver disease...
Alcohol withdrawal refers to the symptoms that occur when alcohol-dependent persons stop drinking. Normally, the brain balances signals that excite and depress the brain. Alcohol alters this balance, depressing the brain. Over time, the brain...
Depression is a mood disorder related to biochemical disturbances in the brain. These disturbances manifests as abnormal levels of chemical substances known as neurotransmitters. Scientists have identified three main neurotransmitters related to...
Depression is a feeling of despair that saps joy and energy from life. Depression is linked to chemical and physical changes in the brain that impact mood and cognitive ability. Depression may also be linked to traumatic events or life changes....
People with depression often feel sad and unmotivated and lose interest in everyday activities. For these people, getting out of the house and interacting with people at the gym or on a jog can be the first step to leading a more positive...
The University of Maryland Medical Center defines a seizure as an episode of abnormal brain activity that results in physical findings or changes in behavior. These changes can vary from minor tremors to significant loss of body movement and...
Depressants describe a class of pharmaceutical compounds that work by decreasing electrical activity in the central nervous system (CNS). Some depressants work by altering the chemistry of the brain to increase the amounts of chemicals that...
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that must be obtained through diet. It is the precursor to serotonin, which is a necessary neurotransmitter in the brain and is deficient in people with depression. Tryptophan increases the levels of serotonin...
