How Depression Blurs Memories

Memory2
Written By Larry Minikes

October 3, 2013
Science Daily/Brigham Young University
To pinpoint why depression messes with memory, researchers took a page from Sesame Street's book.

A new Brigham Young University study concludes that this same skill fades in adults in proportion to the severity of their symptoms of depression. The more depressed someone feels, the harder it is for them to distinguish similar experiences they've had.

"There are two areas in your brain where you grow new brain cells," Kirwan said. "One is the hippocampus, which is involved in memory. It turns out that this growth is decreased in cases of depression."

Because of this study, we know a little more about what these new brain cells are for: helping us see and remember new experiences. The study appears in the journal Behavioral Brain Research.
Science Daily/SOURCE :http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131003132237.htm

Larry Minikes
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