Six myths regarding anxiety and depression were all debunked Saturday.
In front of about 500 people, Anne Andrews, assistant professor of molecular toxicology, corrected misconceptions about anxiety, depression and the effects of serotonin on the brain as it functions in these disorders.
"Serotonin and the Misbehaving Brain: Unraveling the Biology of Anxiety and Depression," was the third installment of the Frontiers of Science lecture series.
Depression affects 18 million adults in the United States annually, Andrews said. About 40 to 60 percent of people who experience depression also experience anxiety disorders, she added.
The first myth Andrews corrected was that depression and anxiety is a result of a weak will and that people could correct the problem if they wanted to.Depression and anxiety are as much a part of our biology as other diseases of the body, she said.
Serotonin, a molecule that affects mood, works in many regions of the brain. Serotonin has been linked to many disorders including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and addiction, and could contribute to these disorders and their behaviors.
The second myth Andrews addressed was that scientists and drug companies are trying to treat disorders rationally. She said there are not drugs or rational treatments for anxiety because we do not fully understand what is wrong in the brain of a patient who suffers from these disorders.
"I don't think we're going to be able to come up with better treatments for these disorders until we understand more about the underlying biology of the brain," she said. In the third myth, Andrews corrected the notion that genes and mental illness were unrelated.
Based her on research with mice, Andrews and her team learned more about the serotonin transporter (SERT), which controls the movement of serotonin to different parts of the brain, and its effects on anxiety.
Genetic variations that affect the SERT could account for anxiety and depression, she said. As much as 70 percent of the normal population have genetic variations that make them likely to experience feelings of anxiety or depression, she said.
Andrew addressed the environment's role in her fourth myth, proving that it is also a contributor to depression and anxiety.
The hippocampus is evolutionarily one of oldest structures in the brain and is affected by serotonin, Andrews said. Reduced hippocampal volumes may account for depression and anxiety and related disorders, she said.
Environmental influences can promote stress that can contribute to reduced hippocampal volumes, Andrews said.
Genetic and environmental factors interact to determine individual susceptibility to developing depression or anxiety disorders, Andrews said.
The fifth myth addressed the common misconception that depression and anxiety are caused by low serotonin levels in the brain.
Serotonin affects the different regions and stages of development in the brain, making the levels of serotonin in the brain specific to the context of the illness.
In the sixth myth, Andrews corrected another misconception about serotonin -- that complex behaviors like anxiety and mood are exclusively controlled by serotonin.
Genes and other substances in the brain could also be responsible and contribute to depression and anxiety disorders, Andrews said.
Kyung-An Han, associate professor in biology who spoke last week for the lecture series, said she thought Andrews' lecture was excellent.
"She beautifully explained how abnormality or how genetic factors actually predispose people to different emotional states," she said.
Han also said some of the issues posed in Andrews' lecture were related to her lecture from the previous week. "Some factors that make people feel depressed or overly anxious push them more to use drugs," she said. "It is quite tightly linked."
Andrews said this kind of research is beneficial and a better understanding of these disorders could lead to better treatment. "We may be able to find clues as to what is wrong with the brain when people suffer from these disorders," she said.
