Girls are twice as likely as boys to be diagnosed with depression, and researchers in London have now uncovered clues as to why.
Girls' brains are more likely to use a common dietary amino acid called tryptophan in a way that is neurotoxic, or harmful to nerves, even though most people's brains use it to make a compound that is neuroprotective, or helpful to nerves. Girls whose brains tended toward this neurotoxic process also were more likely to have blood test results that showed their bodies were in an inflammatory state.
The girls most likely to have these processes also scored highly on a depression risk assessment or had already been diagnosed with major depression.
"Depression during adolescence can significantly impact social and emotional development and increases the risk of suicide," said first author Naghmeh Nikkheslat, PhD, a senior research associate at King's College London. "Our findings offer a hopeful step toward personalized, proactive approaches that address the underlying biological factors of depression, particularly in girls."
