Study reveals new cause of depression

ISLAMABAD: Researchers believe that uncovering the role of a protein that is present in our bodies may revolutionise depression treatment.

A new level of complexity to depression is revealed in a new study. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression affects more than 300 million people worldwide. In the most severe cases, it can lead to suicide. It is normal to experience occasional sadness or grief after specific events, but depression is different.

It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical issues that reduce the ability to function at work and at home. Symptoms include feelings of intense sadness that last for extended periods, loss of interest in everyday activities, headaches, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and sleep disturbances.

Depression is treatable, but it is important to talk to a professional to choose the best therapy based on causes, symptoms, medical and family history, cultural factors, and environmental factors.

Most antidepressant drugs are made based on the belief that depression occurs because of two chemicals that people who have depression lack: serotonin and norepinephrine. The aim of medications is to adjust the levels of these two neurotransmitters.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 80–90 percent of people respond well to therapies, but for some patients, the drugs available on the market today are not effective. Researchers have been seeking new ways to treat depression. A study conducted at Hiroshima University in Japan, published in the journal Neuroscience, is based on the behavior of RGS8, a protein that in humans is encoded by the RGS8 gene.

This protein controls a hormone receptor called MCHR1, which helps to regulate sleep, feeding and mood. In past years, scientists discovered "that RGS8 inactivates MCHR1 in cultured cells."