Brain Biology of Mental Disorders - From Low Spirits to Insanity

Janka, Zoltan

Our lives are full of difficulties and stress. We all carry with us past experiences that we have worked through to a greater or lesser degree, and which affect our present and future life. So why is it that stressful stimuli of a similar magnitude can result in mental problems, or even psychiatric disorders, in one person, while other people can deal with them relatively easily? How is it that individuals respond differently to the same environmental factors at different stages of their lives? The answers are likely to involve biological factors, in particular changes in cerebral function. These changes may have genetic causes, but they can also arise because of a general "attrition" over the course of a person's life. This can involve changes in the functioning of the chemical transmitters (their production, release, transport, binding or breakdown) that are essential to effective communication between brain cells. Thanks to innovative research and development, which has a long tradition both in Hungary and abroad, we have at our disposal many effective medicines to help fix these problems.

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