Mood disorders and migration

MOOD DISORDERS AND MEDICAL ILLNESS Mood Disorders and Allostatic Load

The brain controls both the physiologic and the behavioral coping responses to daily events as well as major stressors, and the nervous system is itself a target of the mediators of those responses through circulating hormones. The amygdala and hippocampus interpret what is stressful and regulate appropriate responses. The amygdala becomes hyperactive in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and...

Chronobiology and mood disorders

The clinical observations of diurnal variation of mood and early morning awakening in depression have been incorporated into established diagnostic systems, as has the seasonal modifier defining winter depression (seasonal affective disorder, SAD). Many circadian rhythms measured in depressive patients are abnormal: earlier in timing, diminished in amplitude, or of greater variability. Whether ...

Managing mood disorders and comorbid personality disorders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To examine the influence of personality disorder comorbidity on the general treatment of mood disorders. RECENT FINDINGS Personality disorders generally have a negative influence on outcome of mood disorders, both unipolar and bipolar. When the personality features are addressed, however, the outcome is less negative. Recent studies suggest a special role for psychological a...

Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders

Mood Disorders and Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 29% of global deaths, making it the leading cause of mortality worldwide. In 2004, 17.1 million people died from CVD and this number is expected to increase to 23.6 million by 2030 (World Health Organization, 2007). The most important mechanism contributing to the development and progression of CVD is atherosclerosis, the process by which fatty plaques ...