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Researchers analyzed brain scans from more than 700 subjects, comparing the resting activity of depressed patients’ brains with non-depressed patients’ to determine significant differences in patterns of brain activity. They found that there are four subtypes of depression, called “biotypes.”

The clinical picture, with some overlap, is distinct for each biotype. Types 1 and 4 have increased anxiety related to fear-based regions; types 3 and 4 show more anhedonia and psychomotor retardation related to areas governing reward, control of movement, and initiating actions; and types 1 and 2 have lower energy and fatigue, related to brain areas involved with motivation and decision-making.

Regardless of biotype, the overall severity of depression was comparable among the 4 groups, though slightly less severe for type 2. Importantly, the biotypes do not correlate well with existing clinical subtypes of depression.

Researchers identified two major groups of network patterns characterizing depression involving 1) frontostriatal and orbitofrontal areas or 2) the limbic system, including areas such as the amygdala, ventral hippocampus, ventral striatum, subgenual cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortex.

The first group correlates with symptoms of anhedonia (difficulty experiencing pleasure) and psychomotor retardation (difficulty initiating movement and sluggish movement) and the second group with anxiety and insomnia. The first group broadly has to do with top-down control, and the second group with emotional regulation on a deep brain level.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/experimentations/201706/four-different-biotypes-depression

Researchers found that twice as many adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) reported improvements from co-existing depression when they took a specific probiotic than adults with IBS who took a placebo.

IBS is the most common gastrointestinal disorder in the world, and is highly prevalent in Canada. It affects the large intestine and patients suffer from abdominal pain and altered bowel habits like diarrhea and constipation. They are also frequently affected by chronic anxiety or depression.

The pilot study involved 44 adults with IBS and mild to moderate anxiety or depression. They were followed for 10 weeks, as half took a daily dose of the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001, while the others had a placebo.

At six weeks, 14 of 22, or 64%, of the patients taking the probiotic had decreased depression scores, compared to seven of 22 (or 32%) of patients given placebo.

Source: http://neurosciencenews.com/probiotics-depression-6783/