Is there a link between depression, neurochemical asymmetry and cardiovascular function?

Abstract

Although at present depression is one of the most disabling disorders in our social environment, the understanding of its pathogenesis and the resources for its treatment are still unsatisfactory. The importance of brain asymmetry in the pathogenesis of disorders in brain function, including mood disorders such as depression, is a highly unexplored, sometimes underrated, and even ignored topic. It is important to note that the basal and pathological functional lateralization must have an underlying neurochemical substrate. It is also necessary to indicate that the brain asymmetry extends to a neurovisceral integration whose behavior may also be lateralized. One of the most studied axis from the functional point of view is the brain-heart connection, in whose operation there are observations that suggest an asymmetric behavior in basal conditions that is modified by central and peripheral changes, as well as by pharmacological treatments. There are evidences that connect cardiovascular function, neurochemical asymmetries, and depression. A deep understanding of the bilateral behavior of the brain following pathophysiological changes in blood pressure as well as pharmacologically induced, can provide us with therapeutic suggestions for the treatment of depression. In this article, we analyze remarkable results of some representative selected contributions, with which we discuss our proposal on the relationship between hypertension, depression and neurochemical asymmetry.

Long axial field of view PET scanners: a road map to implementation and new possibilities

“…There is also evidence that connects cardiovascular function, neurochemical asymmetries and depression [ 28 ]. The brain–heart axis is further implicated in post-stroke cardiovascular complications known as the stroke-heart syndrome, sudden cardiac death and the Takotsubo syndrome, amongst other neurocardiogenic syndromes.…”

A study on the correlation of the asymmetric regulation between the periaqueductal gray and the bilateral trigeminal nucleus caudalis in migraine male rats

“…Besides, Shinoura N et al [ 38 ] found that stress-related vascular responses were suppressed in the right cerebral hemisphere during migraine interictal periods, which indirectly suggested left-right cerebral functional asymmetry in migraine mechanisms. In addition, this functional asymmetry has been studied in other disorders, for example, antidepressants can increase activity in the left hemisphere [ 39 , 40 ], Kong XZ et al [ 41 ] have also shown that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with a subtle reduction in cortical thickness asymmetry that is widely distributed in cortical regions. Therefore, asymmetric regulation of brain function has been gradually discovered and studied in some diseases.…”

Extending the clinical capabilities of short- and long-lived positron-emitting radionuclides through high sensitivity PET/CT

“…Dynamic 15 O-H 2 O PET brain imaging can identify the central nervous pathways of angina pectoris, highlighting the interplay between the brain and the heart in such patients [42]. There is also evidence that connects cardiovascular function, neurochemical asymmetries and depression [43]. An 18 F-FDG PET/CT study has linked resting amygdalar activity with cardiovascular events, indicating a potential mechanism to predict risk of cardiovascular disease caused by stress [44].…”