Some research is beginning to show that psychiatric conditions like depression involve dysfunctional mitochondria. My next post will describe how to enhance mitochondrial function in the brain, though it mostly involves studies about recovering from brain injury rather than a specific focus on treating mitochondrial problems involving major depression.
References:
Antidepressants reveal differential effect against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium toxicity in differentiated PC12 cells. (Link)
Ethanolamine and phosphoethanolamine inhibit mitochondrial function in vitro: implications for mitochondrial dysfunction hypothesis in depression and bipolar disorder. (Link)
Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) and CNS functions: basic studies and clinical applications. (Link)
Mitochondrial complex I activity and oxidative damage to mitochondrial proteins in the prefrontal cortex of patients with bipolar disorder. (Link)
Mitochondrial function is related to alterations at brain SPECT in depressed patients. (Link)
Psychiatric comorbidity in 36 adults with mitochondrial cytopathies. (Link)
St John’s wort and imipramine-induced gene expression profiles identify cellular functions relevant to antidepressant action and novel pharmacogenetic candidates for the phenotype of antidepressant treatment response. (Link)
