Last year I posted about the powerfully negative effects chronic stress has on your memory and brain. Now, a new study [Reference below] published in the June 12, 2007 journal of Neurology provides further evidence this is true by showing:

People who are chronically distressed are 40 percent more likely to develop Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) - a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia syndromes.

These findings are consistent with dozens of earlier studies showing stress damages the hippocampus- the memory engine of the brain.

A related post relates how stress is sticky, and where in the brain it settles.

[Reference]: Chronic distress and incidence of mild cognitive impairment. R. S. Wilson, J. A. Schneider, P. A. Boyle, S. E. Arnold, Y. Tang, and D. A. Bennett. Neurology 2007 68: 2085-2092

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Just last week I was telling my wife that, after having heard hundreds
of violent crime stories from victims and their families over the years, it was my conclusion that in the vast majority of cases, the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, or prescription drugs, and that without this influence, the violent crime probably would not have taken place.

Today I’ve had a chance to finally catch up on some of the news regarding the Virginia Tech massacre. I’ve looked through quite a few of the articles, and nowhere was it mentioned that Cho Seung-Hui was on an anti-depressant medication. My bet, however, was that he was on an SSRI (e.g., Prozac, Lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, etc…)

SSRI’s are given out like breath fresheners in this country; sometimes it seems as if every patient I see is on one. Unfortunately, most physicians don’t realize how radically these drugs can alter someone’s brain to transform personality and thought.

To me, it is remarkable that many of the mass killers in this country were on an SSRI at the time of the massacres (Columbine included) as noted in this article, and it would not be surprising if it’s eventually revealed that Cho Seung-Hui was on one too.

The public (and the many physicians who liberally prescribe SSRIs) needs to be better informed of their consequences- not only for homicide, but also suicide. Their marked potential for heightening aggression and triggering violence (both against others and self) is clearly well documented. [Reference 1] To quote the article’s abstract:

Evidence from many sources confirms that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) commonly cause or exacerbate a wide range of abnormal mental and behavioral conditions. These adverse drug reactions include the following overlapping clinical phenomena: a stimulant profile that ranges from mild agitation to manic psychosis, agitated depression, obsessive preoccupations that are alien or uncharacteristic of the individual, and akathisia. Each of these reactions can worsen the individual’s mental condition and can result in suicidality, violence, and other forms of extreme abnormal behavior. Evidence for these reactions is found in clinical reports, controlled clinical trials, and epidemiological studies in children and adults.

This is the information drug companies don’t want you (or your physician) to know about. Not when $8 billion/year is at stake.

Let’s just hope the guys who have their fingers on the Big Red Button aren’t on these meds….

[Reference 1]: Ethical Human Sciences, Journal of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psycholoy. Springer Publishing Company, New York, NY, USA.

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There is an ever-growing body of scientific evidence indicating omega-3 fats likely play a very significant role in depression. Unfortunately, because drug companies can’t really profit from omega-3 oils (non-patentable), I doubt you’ll currently find many physicians who understand the potential significance of such a simple intervention.

Just a quick stroll through the medical literature reveals the following interesting lines of recent research findings:

• People who are depressed have smaller amounts of grey matter in the cingulate cortex, the right amygdala, and the right hippocampus. Now, new research by Sarah Conklin from the University of Pittsburgh reveals that people who have higher blood levels of omega-3 fats have higher volumes of grey matter in these same brain regions.

• Last year, a study out of the University of Pittsburgh showed that those with lower levels of omega-3 fats in their blood were more likely to be impulsive and have a negative outlook on life. Additionally, those with higher levels of omega-3 fats were less likely to have mild or moderate symptoms of depression.

[Source: The 65th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Psychosomatic Society in Budapest, Hungary, March 7-10, 2007]

• Another study published in the December 2006 issue of Biological Psychiatry reveals that patients who had severe depression (i.e., MDD “Major Depressive Disorder”) had a deficit of DHA (the brain’s major omega-3 fatty acid) in the orbitofrontal cortex. The study mentions how prior research reveals that people who suffer from severe depression (MDD) have a deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids in their blood cells.

[Source: Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Dec 21]

• A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry reveals supplementing patients with suicidal behavior with omega 3 fats resulted in substantial reductions in this sort of behavior and improvements in well-being.

[Source: Br J Psychiatry. 2007 Feb;190:118-122]

• Another study published in the Journal of Affective disorders reveal that regular use of cod liver oil (which is rich in omega-3 fats) is associated with fewer symptoms of depression.

[Source: J Affect Disord. 2006 Dec 18]

• And finally, a meta-analysis (i.e., a review of many research papers) published in the December 2006 Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reveals “The preponderance of epidemiologic and tissue compositional studies supports a protective effect of omega-3 fat intake, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in mood disorders” (i.e., major depressive disorders). Furthermore, “meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials demonstrate a statistically significant benefit in unipolar and bipolar depression (p = .02)”

[Source: J Clin Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;67(12):1954-67]

Please note: I am not saying a couple of omega-3 pills a day will cure depression. Many patients do truly need antidepressant drugs. The neuroscientific literature does, however, strongly suggest these special fats do play a very significant role in mediating depressive disorders. While I’ve given a sampling of some of the most recent studies, if you go back further to 2005, 2004, etc…, you will find many dozens of papers supporting this view.

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