14 DAY TRIAL // Over the past few years, studies have shown that experiencing stress or depression can lead to significant variations in overall brain volume. Now, scientists at Yale University provide an explanation for why this happens.
After investigating the brains of patients suffering from these conditions, investigators found reduced levels of expression in genes known to be responsible for promoting the function of synapses. These connections between neurons are essential for transmitting signals through the brain, PsychCentral reports.
“We wanted to test the idea that stress causes a loss of brain synapses in humans. We show that circuits normally involved in emotion, as well as cognition, are disrupted when this single transcription factor is activated,” explains Ronald Duman, PhD, the senior author of the new study.
The transcription factor GATA1 was found to be responsible for regulating all five genes in charge of promoting synapse health. Targeting this molecule may represent a new avenue of research for developing new drugs against stress and depression.