What if depression helped humanity survive

Depression covers more people. Moreover, to the extent that, according to the World Health Organization, in 2020, it could become the first cause of the disease in women and the second in men (after cardiovascular disorders).In France suffer from depression more than three million people. In addition, it is a major cause of suicide. However, in the western world it is rarely detected, because the symptoms are mostly unknown to the public. People know little about not only its manifestations - at the moment, scientists are increasingly studying the link between depression and the human genome. Thus, they were able to establish that, although today Depression and prevents social life, a few centuries ago, it helped our ancestors. Unbelievable, but true. So how does depression helped our ancestors? The answer to this question can be genetics.A report published in the early years of the study, "Evolutionary significance of depression in the defense against pathogenic organisms» (The evolutionary signifiance of depression in pathogen host defense) scientists Andrew Miller (Andrew Miller) and Charles Reyzon (Charles Raison) showed that certain genes that increase the risk of depression, and help strengthen the immune defense against infections. Experts note that "participating in a depression alleles exist and largely retained in the human genome and is then encoded immunological and behavioral responses that protect the body against pathogens." Some NPY gene mutations are associated with increased body temperature, which is a classic immune response to "aggression." Early in the century mutation of this gene makes our fight against diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Scientists have found that a modified version of NPY gene is more common in people exposed to depression.But it is - is not everything. Both experts believe that certain symptoms of illness - isolation and passivity - gave our ancestors an advantage. Passivity allows the body to send all unspent energy to fight the infection. Similarly, isolation, and that means - and reduced social contact, minimizing the risk of catching the disease from other people. All this led scientists to conclude that "the symptoms of depression are closely related to the physiological response to infection, as well as the challenges it."Be that as it may, not all scientists share the view of the two experts. A 2003 study at the University of Wisconsin found that depressed people exposed - vulnerable to diseases such as the flu. Andrew Miller and Charles Reyzon themselves recognize the relative nature of their findings, and note that the appearance of markers of increased temperature in depressed people is not systematic. Although biological therapy to rebuild immunology patients at depression can really be effective, it is unlikely the answer lies solely in this. There is still much to do to understand this disease.

("Atlantico", France)