Comment by spangry | Hacker News Reader

Comment by spangry | Hacker News Reader

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> ECT should be retired from use. I heard once that brain damage causes the brain to increase production of the steroid allopregnanolone. The beneficial effect of the SSRI's seem to also be related to increased allopregnanolone, NOT to boosting serotonin levels.

That's a fascinating insight. Recent medical research implicates neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of depression [0][1]. Steroids generally have anti-inflammatory properties. Allopregnanolone specifically has anti-neuroinflammatory effects [2][3].

It's amazing, inflammation appears to be implicated in all manner of diseases and conditions.

[0] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ejn.14720 [1] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2021.6910... [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009130221... [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235228951...

There's studies from the 80's & 90's showing direct destruction of neurons in mice and chimpanzees with depression like symptoms. Depression it seems literally eats away at the brain, at least in mammals, likely due to inflammation.

What's perplexed me is why this mechanism would occur in evolutionary terms, or if it's really just a byproduct.

Did those studies show a causal direction of depression causing neural destruction? My current notion is that the causality is reversed - chronic oxidative stress and neuroinflammation cause physical damage to the brain, which results in depression-like symptoms (e.g. low mood, poor memory, loss of motivation etc.). If this turns out to be correct, then there is a clear physiological cause of depression which can be cured through neuro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant medication.

Omega-6 oils are the foundation of the body's inflammatory response: more Omega-6 -> more inflammation (prostaglandins are made from Omega 6 [0]). My friend was eating an Omega-6 heavy diet. Omega 6 can't be diluted with Omega-3, the only way to fix the problem is to reduce all polyunsaturated oil consumption.

My breakthrough 'intervention' was frying whole wheat donuts in coconut oil. Coconut oil is brain food for alcoholics.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostaglandin#Biosynthesis

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