As if seizures were not bad enough, there is a high number of epileptics that also suffer from depression. This becomes a problem for a multitude of reasons, from medication compliance to maintaining a positive outlook with an internal locus of control (yes--those who believe that they have control over their seizures have better overall seizure control and a high quality of life).
To understand these brain conditions better, a brief overview of the way brain cells communicate is important.
In order for the brain to function, the brain cell needs to be able to pass a message from one cell to another. The problem is that neurons do not directly connect to one another. Instead, they are separated by an opening called the synaptic cleft. In order for a message to pass from one neuron to another, the message must be "tossed" across this synaptic cleft.
Neurotransmitters are the "container" that carries the message across the cleft. There are many neurotransmitters with names like serotonin, GABA, glutamate, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine and PEA, just to name a few. You may notice these neurotransmitters because the drugs used to treat both epilepsy and depression try to control these pathways.
I envision the entire process like a miniature "pop a shot" game. The one with the small basketball that you have to throw through the hoop as many times as possible before the timer runs out. The basketball is the neurotransmitter. Every time it goes through the hoop, the "message" has made it from one neuron to the next. Give yourself more balls to throw and you have a better chance of getting this message across. This is how drugs like Prozac work-by keeping the basketball (in this case the neurotransmitter serotonin) in play longer by keeping it in the synaptic cleft for a longer period of time.
Prozac does not, however, increase the number of balls available, it just keeps them in the cleft longer. Natural compounds like 5-HTP can work by giving the neuron more serotonin to work with, again increasing the number of basketballs and increasing the likelihood that the message will get passed on.
Many clinicians view depression and epilepsy as two different problems. I take a much different viewpoint. There is much evidence to suggest that depression and seizures are two divergent outcomes from the same basic problem with the cells of our nervous system.
Both of these conditions can result from unhealthy brain cells that do not have the energy needed to either fire or do not have enough energy to stop a brain cell from firing. Because of this, it might explain why natural approaches to help with seizures mirror those that help with depression.
The list of natural approaches that have been documented to help with both these conditions is long. Examples includes:
1) The ketogenic and elimination diets have consistently shown very good outcomes
2) Melatonin supplementation has been gaining ground as a beneficial treatment for depression and to protect the brain from the damage of migraines and seizures
3) For females, improving your menstrual cycle with lifestyle to eliminate PMS and related symptoms
4) Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has been shown to protect the brain in epileptics and migraineurs
5) Stress management
A recent article in the March 2012 issue of Epilepsy Research highlights a powerful #6.
Exercise has always been and will always remain a cornerstone of natural approaches to manage both depression and epilepsy. The benefits to the brain are many and cut across multiple mechanisms. Exercise helps to control stress, improves blood flow to the brain and promotes better sugar handling in our bodies. Poor sugar handling and prediabetic issues are very damaging to the brain, negatively effecting the ability of our brain cells to generate the energy they need to appropriate pass along the correct message to the neighboring cell.
I typically recommend burst-type aerobic activity for my patients. A brisk walk around the neighborhood for 20 minutes is not exercise. Much of the current research is finding that short bursts of aerobic activity (30 seconds) done in 4-6 sets several times per week has dramatic effects on health. This can be done with sprinting, bike riding, treadmill, elliptical, jump roping, or pretty much any other activity you can think of can be done in a 30 second burst as fast as you can handle.
Regardless of how well your depression and seizures are or are not controlled by the medications prescribed by a psychiatrist or neurologist, adding exercise will improve your condition and do more for the long term protection of your brain than anything a physician can offer.
Read the Epilepsy Research article here http://www.epires-journal.com/article/S0920-1211(11)00319-6/abstract
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