ChronicLyme19 wrote: And what boggles my mind is that all the psychologists I have ever seen, not a single one does bloodwork, let alone mention the immune or any other body system. Don't you think you'd want to check to see if the person is healthy otherwise if they are having mental issues? The only thing I've ever heard from one is that they are seeing a trend of how some people get depressed following sinus infections...
It does seem as though many people (including some psychologists) still have their head in the sand when it comes to considering the biological (versus psychological) basis of psychiatric signs and symptoms. Perhaps they haven't yet read any the following (which is just a tiny sampling of what is currently available for them to read and ponder):
http://sciencenordic.com/infections-may ... depression
Infections may cause depression
June 14, 2013 - 06:08
New study establishes a link between infections and mental health. If you have had a severe infection, your risk of suffering e.g. a depression increases by 62 percent.
By: Lise Hornung
Yet again research indicates a strong link between physical and mental health.
A comprehensive new study now shows that people who have had an autoimmune disease are 45 percent more likely to develop depressions and other conditions.
Similarly, the risk of developing a mental disorder is 62 percent higher than in the general population if you have suffered a serious infection.
[snip]
Similar symptoms Exactly how infections and autoimmune diseases correlate with depression at the molecular level is not entirely clear.
But the researchers have some suggestions about how the two are statistically linked:
”We know that some of the symptoms that you get with infections are very similar to those you get when you’re depressed,” says Benros. “You get tired, lose your energy and your mood is affected. This indicates that some of these symptoms remain after the infection has passed.”
[snip]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/0 ... 72074.html
Why This Psychologist Thinks Depression Is An Infectious Disease
Posted: 12/02/2014 8:14 am EST Updated: 12/02/2014 8:59 am EST
We know that the brains of people with depression are different from the brains of healthy people in both their chemical balance and structure, but despite the fact that roughly 10 percent of the U.S. population struggle with the disease, scientists know startlingly little about why these changes occur.
Clinical depression -- also known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) -- is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological and biological factors. But one psychologist believes we've overlooked biological factors that may be the missing piece of the puzzle.
In a provocative new paper, Dr. Turhan Canli, associate professor of integrative neuroscience at Stony Brook University, makes a case for reconceptualizing depression as an infectious disease caused by foreign invaders like parasites, bacteria or viruses that make their way into the body and cause changes in the brain.
[snip]
http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/genera ... ession.php
Could Depression Actually be a form of Infectious Disease?
Paper by Stony Brook’s Turhan Canli in Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorder points to evidence that suggests research should explore this possibility
Stony Brook, NY, November 14, 2014 – Major depressive disorder (MDD) should be re-conceptualized as an infectious disease, according to Turhan Canli, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology and Radiology at Stony Brook University. In a paper published in Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders, Dr.Canli suggests that major depression may result from parasitic, bacterial, or viral infection. He presents examples that illustrate possible pathways by which these microorganisms could contribute to the etiology of MDD.
MDD remains highly prevalent disease with some 15 to 20 percent of the population experiencing MDD at some point. Recurrence is common, and pharmacological treatments have not changed. Because the causal aspects of the disease are not clearly defined, research to find causes remains paramount to help improve treatments.
“Given this track record of MDD, I propose reconceptualizing the condition as some form of infectious disease,” said Dr. Canli, who is also Director of Stony Brook’s SCAN Center, a member of the Program in Neuroscience, and a Senior Fellow in the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics. “Future research should conduct a concerted effort search of parasites, bacteria, or viruses that may play a causal role in the etiology of MDD.”
In the paper, Dr. Canli presents three arguments why reconceptualizing MDD as an infectious disease may be a fruitful endeavor.
First, he points out that patients with MDD exhibit illness behavior such as loss of energy, and that inflammatory biomarkers in MDD also suggest an illness-related origin. Second, he describes evidence that parasites, bacteria and viruses that infect humans in a way that alters their emotional behavior. Thirdly, Dr. Canli brings the notion of the human body as an ecosystem for microorganisms and the role of genetics.
Based on these points, Dr. Canli suggests a major research step would be to conduct large-scale studies with depressed patients, controls, and infectious-disease related protocols to determine the association or causal nature of infectious disease and depression.
One challenge that I envision in finding "healthy" controls (mentioned in the last paragraph) is that people are exposed to a variety of parasites, bacteria and viruses on a daily basis. Even if someone doesn't become outwardly ill, they could easily be harboring a latent infection -- which I'm guessing would also impact that individual's immune system, and therefore any study results.
