So there is no equaling out between the loss of pleasure activity and the combined activity of areas of the brain responsible for controlling depressive thoughts as well as areas of the brain contributing to depression and areas attempting to gain back pleasure?

What have studies shown regarding the loss of pleasure activity versus the amount of overall (combined) activity gained by the brain areas that make you depressed/that control depressive thoughts/that attempt to gain back pleasure? Have most of them shown that the overall activity is greater or that most of them have shown that the overall activity is less than the loss of pleasure activity during depression?

Or is there no such study and we don't even know at all if this overall activity is greater or less than the loss of pleasure activity during depression?

[Proof -hard to answer due to the complex nature ---like i know there is a couple of known causes for the neurotranmitter to be out of balance. Like chronic stress,poor diets -toxins drug abuse or drinking,genetics. However neurotrransmitters levels can be measured-

serotonin,dopamine,norepinephrine,gaba,glutomate,g lycine--or even check for hormonal imbalances like cortisol.

Hard to understand but I will try to give you example lack of serotonin will causes obssessions and compulsions,dopamine attention,motivation and pleasure.,norepineprine relates to altertnesss and energy and taking intrest in life(motivation)...thats what im trying to explain its not a one size fits all. Based just on my thinking if you have lack of these things intrest,motivation mental alertness or attention---it would have to have to reduce pleasure activity until treated with meds and therapy.

I have another question which is do glucocorticoids from depression kill the neurons in the prefrontal cortex (neurons responsible for pleasure), causing the pleasure area in the prefrontal cortex to fail, leading to more depression?

I read some studies say yes it shows neuro toxins in the hippcampal volume---and some say for a short period of time once stress hormones went back to normal --the atricles i read example one study was on rats--say yes --one study was done on vets ---show 15% loss of volume ---the major study was done with people with cushing disease which does point to yes for sure. I can say if def points to damage but it can be reversed by reducing stress.

Actually, I'm not talking about the hippocampus. I'm talking about the prefrontal cortex. Does it kill the cells there (as explained at the bottom of the article which is titled "Brain Structures"):

http://bio.sunyorange.edu/updated2/T...EPRESSION1.htm

I think its stating abnormal activity in that region which we already knew --but as far has volume loss it goes back to hippocampus and limbic region --the article adds a bit confusion for me --because in that section-- it also talking about stoke patients-- in the sentence before it.

Now I heard that the prefrontal cortex has a lot of glucocorticoid receptors like the hippocampus which makes it vulnerable to neuron death due to stress just like the hippocampus is.

So is it really vulnerable to glucocorticoids just like the hippocampus? Or is that not the case and it's not glucocorticoids that overstimulate neurons in the prefrontal cortex to death, but a lack of stimulation to these neurons that cause them to die due to a lack of bdnf and an excess of the GATA1 genes blocking the connection of new ones?

Or is it all of those things combined that kill the neurons in the prefrontal cortex (too much glucocorticoids, lack of bdnf, and the blocking of new neurons)?

I think its all the things combined ---kill the neurons --its so complex without simple answers. I think from all I have read ---whats most intresting is complex nature --not one direct thing --that why its so freaking complicated---to understand because the brain and its diffrent effect on all kind of mental illness had been studied. Thats why I do think its very smart to do your own research --instead of trying to rely on one thing that may lead to treatment in truth is may be several things may have to be tested as far as the road to treament for indviduals....no one size fits all cure.

Now I'm going to go back on my question right here (in quotes):

"Is the loss of pleasure activity in the brain due to depression less than, equal to, or greater than the overall (combined) activity gained by the brain regions in the limbic system that make you depressed/control depressive emotions (like the amygdala and the hypothalamus) during depression?"

So based on that question, I have 2 more questions:

1.) Do we even have the current technology to measure and compare brain activity to answer this question?

2.) Now just based on knowing how the brain works, can there ever be moments during depression where the loss of pleasure activity exceeds that of the combined activity? Or is that something we don't even know at all?

[QUOTE=MattMVS7;969116]Now I'm going to go back on my question right here (in quotes):

"Is the loss of pleasure activity in the brain due to depression less than, equal to, or greater than the overall (combined) activity gained by the brain regions in the limbic system that make you depressed/control depressive emotions (like the amygdala and the hypothalamus) during depression?"

So based on that question, I have 2 more questions:

1.) Do we even have the current technology to measure and compare brain activity to answer this question?

2.) Now just based on knowing how the brain works, can there ever be moments during depression where the loss of pleasure activity exceeds that of the combined activity? Or is that something we don't even know at all?


I will look into deeper but all I remember reading a study done depressed and non depressed ppl--depressed ppl esp anhedonla (loss of enjoyment) in known pleasure activity which was measured by MRI in neural activity.