People with Depression and Social Anxiety Have Thicker Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Research Reveals
A research has revealed that people with depression and social anxiety share some common specific structural abnormalities in the brain.
A study conducted by researchers from Sichuan University in Chengdu in China has examined the high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans of 37 people with major depressive disorder (MDD), 24 with social anxiety disorder (SAD), and 41 people in good health. Looking for the differences in the gray matter of the brain by focusing on the thickness of the cerebral cortex, which is the outer tissue layer of the brain where processing of information happens, it was revealed that those with MDD and SAD have one part of their cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, thicker than those patients with regular health.
While it remains unclear what the significance of the discovery is, Dr. Youjin Zhao, one of the researchers, suspect that it may have something to do with the compensatory mechanism of the brain. Nonetheless, the doctor also opined that the discovery may imply something else.
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"Greater anterior cingulate cortical thickness could be the result of both the continuous coping efforts and emotion regulation attempts of MDD and SAD patients," Dr. Zhao said.
Whatever the relevance of the discovery is, it is hoped that it will play an important role in the development of a more effective treatment for depression in the future. After all, based on records, more than 16 million Americans suffer from MDD, otherwise known as depression, for, at least, once in their lives.
With the holidays inching closer, more people are expected to suffer from depression as, according to experts, the number of depression cases increases around the Christmas season. Hence, it is important for people to find a way to cope with their down moments, such as devoting a quiet time for themselves or getting enough sleep.
"The holidays are a little bit of mass chaos, there's a lot of people, there's a lot of emotion, there's a lot of anxiety, and that's the time where it's the most crucial to be able to not just get help when you need it," explained Monika Roots, Vice President of Health Services and Senior Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Teladoc, in an interview with Bustle recently.
