Connection between depression and inflammation?

I've noticed a lot of us have depression in addition to our IBD. I found this article interesting, don't know if anyone else has already posted it :

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/04/depression-allergic-reaction-inflammation-immune-system

"Is depression a kind of allergic reaction?
A growing number of scientists are suggesting that depression is a result of inflammation caused by the body’s immune system."

Basically, the cytokene hypothesis of depression says depression = inflammation. Makes sense that IBD patients are more depressed. Chronic inflammation isn't just limited to the colon and can be in other areas of the body -- brain included.

From my own experience, I've noticed that cutting back on inflammatory foods have improved my mood. Things like saffron, curcumin and other natural remedies have also shown to be more effective than medications in alleviating depression. Exercise is a no brainer as well.

More here

The “cytokine theory of depression” has also been supported by a large set of results in animals models. Research using these models demonstrated that alteration in the proinflammatory cytokine milieu can lead to behavioral changes overlapping with those found in depressed patients, including anhedonia, decreased activity, cognitive dysfunction, and altered sleep patterns [12]. In further support of this link, mice exposed to a chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol, which induces symptoms of depressive-like behavior, show increased levels of IL-1 in the hippocampus [13]. Furthermore, the depressive-like behavior observed after CMS can be mimicked by chronic administration of IL-1 [13] and, when mice lacking the expression of IL-1 receptor are exposed to the same CMS paradigm, the behavioral changes do not occur [13]. Interestingly, mice unable to express the receptor for TNF, one of the cytokines more consistently upregulated in depression, show decreased immobility in the forced swim test (FST), that is, decreased signs of depressive-like behavior in a test that assesses learned helplessness and is considered one of the gold standard tests to evaluate depression in rodents [14]. These observations suggest that TNF activation also mediates depressive-like behavior in mice.

Best.

I think this is just another trendy bandwagon which people are hopping on, much like with gut dysbiosis. It doesn't answer anything for me. Namely:

- Why was I suffering from depression long before I got Crohn's?
- Why am I not less depressed now that my colon has gone?
- In these studies, a "high" CRP seems to be counted as being 3 or over. But people with IBD can have CRP tens or even hundreds of times higher than 3. Why aren't they all throwing themselves off rooftops?
- Has any studies controlled for the fact that the reason why people with IBD may be more depressed is because being chronically ill is ****ing depressing?
- Expense aside, why aren't anti-TNFs used to treat depression?
- Which comes first, the chemical changes or the reactive depression?
- Why is sickness behaviour assumed to be the same as depression? I have been both very, very sick and very, very depressed, and I find them to be qualitatively different experiences. Physically there are some resemblances (fatigue, withdrawal, etc.) but emotionally there is nothing in common. You can be sick without feeling the heavy blackness of depression.

I will need a great deal more convincing before I'm persuaded that cytokines are responsible for my lifelong depression. As opposed to: childhood bullying/emotional abuse, being unable to relate to people 'cos of undiagnosed ASD, dropping out of college several times, not being able to hold down a job, etc. This is all before I even got Crohn's.

soystud said...
I don't think anyone is even remotely suggesting that inflammation is the ONLY cause of depression ncot -

This. Its just one of a million contributing factors. Removing that factor isint going to magically make you not depressed instantly, but it will stop that factor from contributing any further.

I feel immediately better when I read studies like this.

I find it entirely plausible that the same inflammation that caused my UC also caused my mental illnesses.

For the Rock
I attended a conference of GI's who presented on this very topic (DDW '2014).
This study indicated that depression is not caused by the circumstances of the disease. The chemical alterations are probably already there. What triggers the symptoms? Cannot say for sure. I will see if I can find the study or its authors.They know Seratonin is also made in our guts, and a UC gut is quite messed up(obviously I am a layperson,lol). Will take a look later...

Bottomline is that depression is caused by multiple factors and high inflammation can be one of the factors....others may be genetic predisposition, environmental stressful conditions, difficult childhood,
current financial, marital, social,occupational problems.
There is never just one cause...it is multiple factors which cause depression.

I think losing who you once were to this disease is what triggers depression, along with terribly distressful incontinence for some people, and whilst many people will somehow manage to narrowly avoid depression, some will have to constantly battle against it.

Speaking for myself, I have fortunately never suffered from severe depression, and have always (up to now at least!) been able to look on the bright side, although having said this, I have noticed a lack of enthusiasm for things that would ordinarily motivate me, or give me pleasure, and so perhaps there is a connection there, with regard to possible early signs of depression, that as yet hasn't been fully understood or documented.

Alternatively it may be that the medication we have to take is somehow responsible, I really can't be sure, however this has crossed my mind recently.