Donna Jackson Nakazawa has a terrific read on the hottest and possibly most fruitful line of research in the battle against depression, anxiety, and other neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Have you ever heard of microglia?
They make up 10-15% of all cells found in the brain, and researchers have found that they remove dead cells and protect neurons.
Well, as Jackson writes, “a new understanding of these cells tells us that when they go rogue, they destroy synapses and cause inflammation in the brain.”
According to studies, people who show elevated inflammatory markers on blood tests also show higher levels of microglial activation in the brain.
Basically, the microglia go berserk and start doing bad things to your brain.
And these higher levels in the brain are linked to a Who’s Who of neurological malfunctions like depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s and others.
What are some implications?
Well, Jackson notes that researchers think this might point to a reason why certain antidepressants work better for some than others.
If Joe’s mental health is primarily a function of abnormal microgilial activity, then he’ll probably do better with an antidepressant that primarily works on inflammation.
Meanwhile, Sue might have normal levels of inflammation, and maybe she’d be better off with something that targets something else in the brain.
That’s going to really help doctors pick out the right antidepressant for you, in the future.
In keeping with the site’s mission, this is so incredibly important.
I’m a broken record, but it’s becoming clearer and clearer that your mental health is a reflection of your physical health, and not your spiritual walk.
If your body is inflamed, that will probably affect your brain, and an inflamed brain often leads to classic symptoms of depression.
For example, Jackson points to a study where researchers measured people’s inflammatory markers, then accurately predicted which neural circuits would darken in a way consistent with depression.
As a church we need to be praying about depression, yes. But I pray mostly that the Lord will enlighten minds to the true cause of most of these problems (bodily malfunctioning) and the physical root of it.
That will help so many Christians who’ve been tragically taught that their mental health is a reflection of their spiritual health.
As you read the Bible, that isn’t just clearly theologically incorrect, it is absolutely scientifically wrong. And it is destroying lives.
