PSYC300 – Mood Disorders Lecture (Mar 13)

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms, definitions, and biological, cultural, and clinical aspects of depressive disorders as covered in the lecture.

Emotion

A physiological, cognitive, and behavioral reaction that may not always occur together.

Mood

A prolonged emotion that colors life, perspectives, and behaviors.

Mood Disorder

A prolonged, abnormal or dysfunctional mood that impairs functioning.

DSM-5 Depressive Disorders

Unipolar conditions marked solely by low mood, including Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

A depressive disorder characterized by one or more Major Depressive Episodes.

Major Depressive Episode

A 2-week period with at least five symptoms (including depressed mood or anhedonia) such as weight change, sleep change, fatigue, worthlessness, poor concentration, or suicidal thoughts.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

Low-grade chronic depressed mood lasting at least two years with fewer symptoms than MDD but significant impairment.

Double Depression

Major Depressive Episodes superimposed on chronic dysthymia, increasing risk of recurrence.

Psychotic Features (in MDD)

Delusions or hallucinations that occur in very severe depression.

Delusion

A fixed false belief, e.g., guilt, impoverishment, or nihilism, seen in ~50 % of very severe MDD cases.

Hallucination

A sensory perception not shared by others, most commonly auditory in severe MDD (15-20 %).

Somatic vs. Cognitive-Emotional Presentation

Cultural tendency for Eastern patients to report bodily symptoms and Western patients to report cognitive-emotional symptoms of depression.

Age-Specific Depression Symptoms

Children often show irritability and physical complaints; elderly may show memory problems and health worries.

Subsyndromal Depression

Depressive symptoms that do not meet full criteria but still cause significant impairment.

Lifetime Prevalence of Depression (Canada)

Estimated 4-12 % of adults will experience a depressive disorder at some point.

Average Age of Onset

Around 25 years, with decreasing age of onset, especially in adolescent girls.

Negative Affectivity

A heritable tendency to experience negative emotions frequently and intensely; shared risk with anxiety.

vmPFC (Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex) Changes

Reduced cortical thickness associated with impaired affect regulation and approach behavior in MDD.

Hippocampal Atrophy

9-13 % smaller hippocampus in women with MDD, possibly due to chronic stress.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

Brain area with decreased activity in MDD, linking amygdala and PFC.

Amygdala Hyperreactivity

Stress-related increased dendritic branching and heightened emotional reactivity in depression.

Brodmann’s Area 25

Subgenual ACC region overactive in treatment-resistant depression and involved in emotion regulation.

Monoamine Theory (Permissive Model)

Hypothesis that balance—rather than absolute levels—of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine influences mood.

Neurotransmitter Dysregulation

State-dependent changes in monoamines (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) observed during depression.

HPA Axis Dysregulation

Chronic over-activation of the stress system that elevates cortisol and disrupts glutamate circuits in depression.

BDNF Down-regulation

Reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor from chronic stress that contributes to hippocampal dendrite erosion.

Inter-episode Symptoms

Residual symptoms, often interpersonal, that persist between depressive episodes.

Impairment of Depression

Consequences include suicide risk, occupational dysfunction, and potential total incapacitation.