There are a number of factors that may play a role in the development of depression, including genetic, environmental, emotional, psychological and biological influences. According to one integrative neuroscientist, depression could even be a form of infectious disease.
Some research suggests that inflammation can play a large role in the development of depression. This research has tended to focus on inflammatory markers in the blood, and on depression co-occurring with physical ailments that cause an immune reaction.
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Current treatments for depression do not target inflammation. Separately, an estimated 10 percent of those on antidepressants do not respond to the treatment, and 20 to 30 percent do not respond to the first antidepressant treatment.
“This discovery has important implications for developing new treatments for a significant group of people who suffer from depression,” says Dr. Meyer, who also holds a Canada Research Chair in the neurochemistry of major depression. “It provides a potential new target to either reverse the brain inflammation or shift to a more positive repair role, with the idea that it would alleviate symptoms.”
