Suicide victims were found to have an overabundance of Transglutimate 2 in the brain. Besides Pantesin, does anyone know of anything which lowers this?
I had never even seen it mentioned before you brought it up. A quick search brought up some pertinent articles:
Transglutaminase 2 overexpression induces depressive-like behavior and impaired TrkB signaling in mice
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC5348279/
Chronic stress increases level of a protein that decreases availability of mood-regulating chemical
https://www.scienced...60913134017.htm
Just from a quick skim and that it seems to be triggered by chronic stress, I think I may know the answer! It's something many people here are already familiar with. Read this paper:
The neurobiological properties of Tianeptine (Stablon): from monoamine hypothesis to glutamatergic modulation
http://www.ncbi.nlm....?tool=pmcentrez
A simplified summary of what's in it that I posted about a year ago:
- My summary of the second one: Tianeptine=good for brain, then 13 pages of references. Prevents and reverses negative changes caused by stress (anxiety counts) and depression. Describes the following effects: Increases/restores neuroplasticity, anxiolytic, cytoprotective (Cytoprotection is a process by which chemical compounds provide protection to cells against harmful agents), procognitive etc.
- "A modification of glutamatergic mechanisms by tianeptine may therefore be implicated in its ability to oppose the negative influence of chronic stress upon hippocampal neurogenesis, cell proliferation, and dendritic remodeling, processes profoundly disrupted in depressive states (21,44,63). The emerging pharmacological profile of tianeptine suggests that this antidepressant may serve to ‘normalize’ synaptic function, thereby allowing the chemical signal to reinstate the optimal functioning of critical circuits necessary for normal affective functioning."
About half of all people with severe depression chronically hypersecrete cortisol, which is sometimes referred to as the "stress hormone", and over time this can cause permanent (but not necessarily severe) neurological damage along with a wide variety of other effects. Ashwagandha, particularly KSM-66 IIRC, has been shown to have one of the strongest effects on this, reducing it by around 25% or a bit more IIRC. Panax ginseng may also have a strong effect.Well, at least the hypermemory and hyper-systemizing aspects of Asperger's are good for something. Functioning by pure reason and working with information are just about the only things I'm really good at.
Tianeptine is a great med, one of the only ones I've had success with treating anhedonic depression. The opioidergic system is also implicated in its MOA: https://www.nature.c...npp201760a.html
Unfortunately, it seems to adversely affect my cognition and worsen ADD, hence why I'm not still taking it.