The Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience has a new study, explaining some brain differences between depression alone VS. depression with anxiety.
If you’re just depressed, you probably become less emotional. Why’s that? Because depression is linked to brain shrinkage, including in areas related to apathy and anhedonia.
However, if you’re depressed and anxious, then you’re probably more emotional. Why?
Because depression w/anxiety is linked to a larger amygdala — the part of the brain tied to emotions.
Of course, this makes total sense.
If you’ve ever been depressed, you know how all-is-vanity it makes you feel. And, if anything, you are far less emotional than a normal person.
If you’ve ever been depressed with anxiety, you know how overwhelmingly emotional it can make you feel. Jimmy Stewart, in the greatest film ever made, clearly was depressed with anxiety. So seemed King David in many of his Psalms.
And so on.
The researchers looked at 112 studies, measuring brain activity in people with depression vs. depression w/anxiety to spot the differences.
And here they are:
Participants with depression and no comorbidity showed significantly lower volumes in the putamen, pallidum and thalamus, as well as significantly lower gray matter volume and intracranial volume; the largest effects were in the hippocampus (6.8%).
Participants with depression and associated anxiety showed significantly higher volumes in the amygdala (3.6%).
