Depression: Key Concepts and Treatments

A set of 45 fill-in-the-blank flashcards covering key concepts, biological underpinnings, and treatment methods associated with depression.

Depression is characterized by persistent feelings of __.

despair

The inability to take pleasure in previously pleasurable things is known as __.

anhedonia

Mood disorders significantly impair normal life __.

activity

For a mood disorder like depression to be diagnosed, symptoms must be __.

persistent and disproportionate

The prevalence of depression worldwide in 2017 was reported as __ in males.

6%

The prevalence of depression is often assessed using __ data for true estimates.

medical and epidemiological

Identical twins show a 60% concordance rate for clinical depression, while fraternal twins show __ %.

20%

Genetic vulnerability to depression is considered to be __, meaning it involves multiple genes.

polygenic

Chronic stress can lead to dysregulation of the __ axis in depressed individuals.

HPA

SSRIs are a common class of drugs that prevent the reuptake of __.

serotonin

The __ hypothesis suggests that depression is caused by a deficit in monoamine neurotransmitters.

monoamine

The theory that depression can be treated as a simple chemical imbalance is often referred to as a neuromyth of __.

depression

Neurogenesis refers to the process of generating _ throughout life.

new neurons

Drugs like SSRIs may alleviate depression symptoms through increased __ rates in certain brain areas.

neurogenesis

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that alters mood through __.

cognition

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is used in extreme cases of treatment __ depression.

refractory

Ketamine is a novel treatment that blocks the __ glutamate receptor.

NMDA

Vagus nerve stimulation inhibits the __ nervous system to help balance stress responses.

sympathetic

Deep brain stimulation is used in extreme cases to stimulate regions of the __ system.

limbic

Chronic depresión is linked to higher levels of __ in the blood.

cortisol

The hippocampal volume tends to __ in patients with depression.

decrease

The subgenual cingulate shows altered function and __ in depressed individuals.

volume

Exercise is shown to enhance __ which may alleviate depressive symptoms.

neurogenesis

The effectiveness of antidepressants can occur before a noticeable change in __.

clinical symptoms

Individuals suffering from depression often have disrupted __ patterns during sleep.

sleep

Depression can often be indicated by __ sleep quality or quantity.

poor

An important neurotransmitter often adjusted by antidepressant drugs is __.

serotonin

In despair, a patient may experience __, which is often linked to hopelessness.

suicidality

Life events can trigger depression, but symptoms must last for __ duration to qualify as a mood disorder.

prolonged

There is a high placebo effect observed with all __ for depression.

antidepressants

The genetic correlation between depression and Crohn’s disease suggests shared __ factors.

genetic

Chronic stress is a significant risk factor for the development of __.

depression

Many antidepressants focus on increasing neurotransmitter action in the synapse.

monoamine

Ketamine's recent approval is for treatment of __ depression.

refractory

The treatment paradigm for depression must be __ in nature to be most effective.

medical and social

Patients on MAOIs must avoid foods high in __ to prevent toxicity.

tyramine

The monoamine hypothesis implies that increasing monoamines in the brain will help __ symptoms of depression.

alleviate

The most frequently studied regions for neurogenesis in the adult brain include the __ and the olfactory bulb.

hippocampus

__ treatments such as vagus nerve stimulation represent newer methods for addressing difficult cases of depression.

Experimental

Standard drug treatments tend to work best when combined with __ for depression.

therapy

Depressive feedback is characterized by a loop of negative thought, mood, and __.

behavior

Some studies indicate that __ can enhance neurogenesis and improve mood.

exercise

The effects of certain drugs on mood may be delayed, occurring only after changes in __.

brain circuitry