How does depression relate to serotonin levels in your brain? The answer from the experts
Depression is a topical issue especially in this time and the post-covid era we are going through. For this very reason, there is a great deal of debate—scientific and non-scientific—about what causes depression or what factors make it worse.
Until recently, there was a widespread perception that depression was linked to serotonin. That is, the low levels of serotonin in the brain cause a chemical imbalance, which is responsible for the appearance of depression.
But this hypothesis, precisely because it had dominated public opinion, ultimately appeared weak. New studies have shown that these two are not connected.
The umbrella analysis and the Serotonin problem
More specifically, a group of scientists from the University of London reviewed 17 previous studies – hence the “umbrella” – and concluded that depression and serotonin are not connected after all.
The studies were based on hundreds of thousands of people, both with and without depression. The analyzes and measurements of serotonin that were carried out were really numerous and specialized.
Other factors were also considered, such as neurotransmitters, heredity, and countless other things, related and unrelated.
And after reviewing previous research, the team concluded that there is no scientific basis for a link between depression and serotonin. This automatically created many question marks in relation to medication for depression.
In particular, many antidepressants target serotonin production, which research has ultimately shown to be ineffective and unnecessary.
The opposite
On top of this, many experts recommend that patients not stop their treatment, at least until the results of this research are studied.
Also, many question the results of the umbrella survey, due to its design, but also the quality of the conclusions drawn. In fact, some scientists, according to the Science Media Center, react and consider that serotonin has given very good results to many patients, so it should not be rejected as valid scientific medication.
Dr. Livia de Picker, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Psychiatry Research at the University of Antwerp, tells the Science Media Centre, that there is no reason and no evidence that the use of serotonin as an antidepressant is ineffective. Instead, he argues that there are many different ways the brain reacts to anti-depressant drugs, so we can continue with them as long as they are effective.
In general, depression is a disease that still needs extensive and extensive research. And this is because in humans everything is connected to each other. A physical dysfunction can trigger a mental and tubalin.
That is why it is right to stick to the judgment of the doctor, who knows best.
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