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Exercises Effect on the Depressed Brain 1

Exercises Effect on the Depressed Brain Brittany Foye The Academy for the Arts, Science, and Technology

Authors Note Any issues with this paper should be addressed with Brittany Foye, Pre-Medicine Major at The Academy for the Arts Science and Technology, Myrtle Beach South Carolina, 29579 E-mail: bday510@gmail.com

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Introduction There are many illnesses and diseases that plague our society today. These diseases include, but are not limited to, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, cystic fibrosis, and AIDs. These diseases are serious are treated accordingly. There are so many alternative treatments for these different diseases, and these alternatives are great for the patient because the patient is not constantly medicated with different medications with many side-effects. However, the alternative treatments for other diseases such as depression are lacking. Depression is a serious mental illness that is currently treated with medication, however if physical activity was prescribed with or even replaced medicinal treatment, then treatment would be even more effective. There are alternatives, such as exercise, that have been researched a little, but are not widely implemented. Exercise has shown promise in treating the clinically depressed, but the use of such practices is still limited. Mental Illness and Depression overview There is new research out that states that the still developing brains of children and teens are more susceptible to stress than the brains of adults. This makes their brains more vulnerable to mental illnesses such as depression. This is caused when the brain cells in the hippocampus begin to shrink down from their normal size. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in children, teens, and adults, and [it] has been ranked as the leading cause of disability in the United States (Craft, L. L., & Perna, F. M). There is no specific category of people that is impacted by depression. It impacts all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and can occur at any age. (What is

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depression). There are different types of classifications for depression: major depression, dysthymia, which is a less server form of major depression, and bipolar disorder, which is also classified as classified depression (What is depression). Although all of them are serious, they are on different ends of the spectrum. They each have different variations of each disease, for example, a variant of major depression is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and a variant of bipolar disorder is psychotic depression. There are many tell-tale signs and symptoms of depression. These signs and symptoms represent a significant change from the individual's normal level of functioning. (What is depression). The symptoms of depression impair an individuals ability to function in a normal society, and such symptoms can occur suddenly or they occur in a very gradual fashion (What is depression). The symptoms of depression include, but are not limited to: depressed mood most of the day, diminished interest or pleasure in activities that were once amusing, significant change in appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, loss of energy or fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, diminished ability to think or concentrate, recurrent thoughts of death, and suicidal thoughts.
(What is depression).

Exercise and its effect on Depression Exercise is the physical exertion of the body (Nordqvist). Exercise is beneficial to the health or people in general. It promotes a healthier lifestyle, and a healthier lever of physical fitness and mental health... (Nordqvist). People exercise for many different reasons, including recreational reasons and for maintaining body weight. Exercise also has medical benefits, especially for the brain. During exercise, endorphins are released in the brain which are chemicals that make you feel good. These endorphins can help to ease the effects of depression

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on the mental and emotional state of a person (Mayo Clinic Staff). Exercise can also benefit a person psychologically and emotionally. Exercising can cause a spike in confidence that will help with depression symptoms. Depression and exercise have such a strong connection to the brain, and it has been shown through the in-depth research that has been preformed. Although not a common topic for research, the trials that have been recorded all point to the fact hat exercise does ease the symptoms of clinical depression and even has the ability to help reverse the symptoms more effectively than the clinical drugs that are used now. There is research to support the use of exercise as a suitable and effective treatment for depressed patients. Scientists believe that the addition of cognitive-behavioral therapies, specifically exercise, can improve treatment outcomes for many patients (Craft, L. L., & Perna, F. M) Exercise has been shown to have great promise as a treatment additive or option for people suffering from depression. Research has also shown that depressed patients are less fit and have diminished physical work capacit y which also points to the need for a use of exercise as a treatment option (Craft, L. L., & Perna, F. M). If those that are depressed are unfit, then maybe an emphasis on physical fitness and physical health will help to improve their physical and mental health. Using exercise as a treatment will also help to boost their confidence in their selves as they begin to drop weight and feel better about their body. Although using exercise as a treatment option has not been so widely used, there has been research on the topic. In an experiment using mice, researchers tested the effects of exercise on the mice. They found that exercise has an antidepressant effect in both humans and animals and that it is attributed to 5-hydroxytryptamine (Lee, H). The mice in the experiment were subjected to ten minutes of exercise on a treadmill doing ten meters per minute for five consecutive days. The study found that the exercise in the mice caused an enhancement of

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hippocampal noradrenalinin the mice (Lee, H.). This enhancement in the brain is directly related to depression, because depression begins when the hippocampus depletes. Exercise helps to rebuild what the brain looses during stress and depression, and exercise also was shown to help in the prevention of the onset of depression-like behavior (Lee, H). Possible Solutions and Outcomes Depression can still be treated with medication, but exercise can still be used as an option for treatment. It has minimal side effects compared to medications, and it also promotes health in other areas in the body, not just the brain. Exercise can help to lower stress levels and can lower the need for immune responses that can worsen depression symptoms in patients. If there was more research on the topic and more people who used exercise as an alternative to the numerous drugs that are used to treat depression, then maybe the rate of relapse for depression would diminish. Also, if exercise was a part of daily life for individuals in general, then the percentage of Americans that are plagued with depression would also go down. Conclusion Depression is a serious illness that should not be taken lightly. The treatments for depression are numerous, but most of them involve pharmaceutical drugs that can have side effects or that may not even work. A healthy alternative to these is exercise. Research points to the effectiveness of depression as a treatment option and research also shows that regular exercise in the clinically depressed has the ability to reverse the damage done to the brain by depression and stress that causes depression.

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Reference Page Child and teen brains very sensitive to stress, likely a key factor in mental illness. (2007, August 21). Retrieved from http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/005410.html Craft, L. L., & Perna, F. M. (2004). The benefits of exercise for the clinically depressed. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/ Lee, H. (2013, July 04). Regular moderate or intense exercise prevents depression-like behavior without change of hippocampal tryptophan content in chronically tryptophan-deficient and stressed mice. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8f38f743-ac00-4d87-a3eb142ed320ca66@sessionmgr110&vid=15&hid=5 Mayo Clinic Staff. (1, October 2011). Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043 Nordqvist, C. (2013, September 02). What is exercise: The benefits of exercise. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153390.php

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