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THE EFFICACY OF HIPPOCAMPAL STIMULATION IN PREVENTING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

Patrick, Timothy B.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1305039642

Abstract Details

2011, Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, College of Sciences and Health Professions.
The hippocampus provides negative feedback for the Hypothalamic-Pituitary- Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is responsible for producing a response to stressful stimuli. The hippocampus is sensitive to high levels of glucocorticoids (GCs), because of its large number of GC receptors. In times of severe stress, hippocampal function is inhibited and its control over the HPA axis is diminished, leading to hyperactivity of the adrenal glands as well as hypercortisolism, typical of depression. Long-term stress and depression can eventually lead to chronic impairments in cognitive ability, as well as structural damage in the hippocampus. Exercise and environmental enrichment stimulate significant growth and activity in the hippocampus, and have been used successfully as antidepressant treatments in previous studies. However, these previous studies failed to demonstrate whether such treatments are capable of preventing the cognitive symptoms of depression during times of persistent chronic prolonged stress. Previous research has also evaded the possibility of a potential additive effect when both treatments are used in combination. The current study aims to extend previous research in this area by examining both the possibility of a preventative efficacy of hippocampal stimulation during periods of stress, as well the possibility of an additive effect associated with the use of both treatments. Rodents went through a 10-week period of CMS along with concurrent exposure to environmental enrichment, environmental enrichment and exercise, or neither. Sucrose consumption was used as a measure of anhedonia at the 8-week point. At the completion of the 10 week CMS period, spatial memory was measured using the Morris Water Maze and a Novel Object Placement Task. The overall level of spatial memory impairment was determined based on the group means collected during these tests. Overall, results from the current study provide evidence supporting the preventative efficacy of hippocampal stimulation during periods of stress. While environmental enrichment appeared to be insufficient in preventing the cognitive impairments associated with higher levels of stress, an additive effect of both exercise and enrichment was observed. While it remains unclear whether exercise alone is capable of providing the level of protection observed in this study, the results reveal that exercise is a requisite for the maintenance of hippocampal function in the presence of consistent stress.
Mike Hammonds, PhD (Committee Chair)
Conor McLennan, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Ernest Park, PhD (Committee Member)
93 p.
Behavioral Psychology
hippocampus; depression; exercise; neurogenesis; environmental enrichment,

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Patrick, T. B. (2011). THE EFFICACY OF HIPPOCAMPAL STIMULATION IN PREVENTING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1305039642

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Patrick, Timothy. THE EFFICACY OF HIPPOCAMPAL STIMULATION IN PREVENTING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. 2011. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1305039642.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Patrick, Timothy. "THE EFFICACY OF HIPPOCAMPAL STIMULATION IN PREVENTING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1305039642

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1305039642
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© 2011, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.