What does depression do to our brain and can antidepressants help? This topic, abound with misconceptions and controversy, is becoming more relevant as depressive disorder climbs on the list of greatest health burdens.

To  find out what current research is showing, Kim and Alessia talk to Eero Castren, a professor at the University of Helsinki and a principal investigator at the Neuroscience Center there. A trained medical doctor with a PhD in neuropharmacology, our guest has a remarkable resume as a researcher, including work with Bethesda National Institute of Mental Health, Columbia University, and Max Planck Institute. 

His main area of expertise are neurotrophic factors - biomolecules that make neural connections possible. “Neurons,” Castren explains, “do not work alone, but as a network”, and neurotrophic factors allow establishment, maintenance, and, eventually, change of neural networks. These networks, in turn, represent all the things in our memory. Neurotrophic factors are, therefore, essential to the ability to learn and evolve - brain plasticity or neuroplasticity. 

In this talk, Castren pays special attention to the effects of depression on neuroplasticity, especially on BDNF - a particularly important factor. He discusses findings on antidepressants and provides some advice on how to fight depression. Besides depression treatment, Castren also tackles new developments in treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as well as stroke. Non-patients are not forgotten - our guest tells us about how to keep our brains plastic and make memory stronger. 

Kim Baden-Kristensen is the co-founder and CEO of Brain+, a digital therapeutics company that helps people with brain disorders and injuries to recover their fundamental cognitive brain functions and daily life capabilities by using an app-based cognitive rehabilitation platform, which is developed in close collaboration with patients, clinicians and researchers.https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbadenk/  
Alessia Covello is a life science IT consultant working in the field of healthcare technology implementation, and advocating for better services for people with brain conditions and learning disabilities.https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessiacovello/ 

Topics discussed:

4:57 - What are neurotrophic factors? How are they relevant for learning?
13:00 - Neuroplasticity and age
15:37 - TIPS: Can we influence the activity of neurotrophic factors and how?

19:38 - New treatments for Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, and Parkinson’s disease
23:34 - Causes of deficiency in neurotrophic factors - genetic and other

26:40 - Drugs that stimulate production of BDNF - study of antidepressants
36:08 - TIPS: How to make depression treatment truly effective? Advice on physical activity and other ways to deal with depression
41:45 - Brain plasticity and depression
43:50 - Other uses of antidepressants (e.g. stroke)
45:38 - Common misconceptions about antidepressants

48:30 - Take home messages

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