Regular ArticleThe malaise theory of depression: major depressive disorder is sickness behavior and antidepressants are analgesic
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2018, Inflammation and Immunity in Depression: Basic Science and Clinical ApplicationsThe impact of chronic mild stress on long-term depressive behavior in rats which have survived sepsis
2017, Journal of Psychiatric ResearchCorticosterone and immune cytokine characterization following environmental manipulation in female WKY rats
2017, Behavioural Brain ResearchCitation Excerpt :It has been hypothesized that ‘depression’ or ‘sickness behaviour’ has evolved as a motivational state in response to infection as it promotes immune system activation and compensatory energy saving mechanisms [15–17]. The connection between depression and sickness behaviour is strengthened through studies showing that chronic treatment with anti-depressants can alleviate sickness behaviour in rodents [18–20]. In fact, if an increase in cytokines is chemically blocked with anti-inflammatories such as dexamethasone, no sickness behaviour is exhibited since there is no triggering signal [17,21].
Depression as sickness behavior? A test of the host defense hypothesis in a high pathogen population
2015, Brain, Behavior, and ImmunityCitation Excerpt :In addition, certain depressive symptoms including suicidal ideation are not easily explained by the notion that depression is an adaptation to protect the host from infection or injury (Syme et al., 0000). Other lines of evidence are not consistent with the host defense hypothesis, and suggest that depression may be a maladaptive consequence of cytokine-induced sickness (Charlton, 2000). Depression is often associated with immune dysregulation such as delayed mucosal wound healing (Bosch et al., 2007) and reduced cellular immunity (Irwin et al., 1998).
Measuring sickness behavior in the context of pancreatic cancer
2015, Medical HypothesesCitation Excerpt :Sickness behavior and MDD have many overlapping symptoms, but the relationship between these two constructs is not well understood, hindered in part by the lack of a systematic method for assessing sickness behavior in humans. A radical, unprecedented proposal states that that sickness behavior is depression and organizes this syndrome around malaise (i.e., mood symptoms are secondary) [55]. In contrast, sickness behavior and depression have also been conceptualized as phenomena that exist on a continuum such that sickness behavior is a precursor to depression in vulnerable individuals [56].