Depression & Neurologic Symptoms

Major depression is a mental illness most commonly associated with mood-related symptoms, such as sadness and lack of motivation. However, depression can cause many neurological problems, ranging from memory issues to lack of appetite.

Features

• Major depression is a common and disabling mental illness that profoundly affects the brain's functioning. The same brain chemicals known to influence depression also play a major role in regulating sleep, appetite, digestion, memory, concentration and muscular function.

Symptoms

• Neurological symptoms of depression can include poor concentration, memory loss, significant changes in sleep, appetite, and energy level, and psycho-motor retardation (significant reduction of movement) or stimulation (restlessness, twitching).

Considerations

• Because each brain is unique, neurological symptoms of depression can range dramatically and even be paradoxical. For example, a depressed person may have either insomnia (inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (sleeping too much). Some depressed persons report feeling sluggish and fatigued, while others feel agitated and restless.

Other symptoms

• Less medically obvious neurological symptoms include memory loss, inability to concentrate, diminished problem-solving ability, or a feeling of being "fogged in."

Diagnosis

• As with any illness, physicians diagnose major depression based on a large group of symptoms that occur simultaneously rather than one or two issues alone. Because any of the symptoms listed above can be caused by other serious illnesses, a responsible physician will investigate other possible causes before diagnosing depression.