ABSTRACT
Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a rare metabolic disorder that is challenging to diagnose and treat. Symptoms are nonspecific and severe acute attacks may be life-threatening. This is a case of a previously healthy 21-year-old woman diagnosed with an acute attack of AIP following recurrent hospitalizations with undiagnosed abdominal pain over a 12-month period with gradual onset of motor neuropathy which resulted in complete paralysis and respiratory failure. Through our case, we will highlight the challenges in AIP diagnosis and management, its potential severity, and how an early diagnosis could have prevented severe disability.
ABSTRACT
Depression is characterized by atrophy in several brain structures, with the hippocampus seemingly particularly affected. A wide variety of cellular mechanisms have been proposed for these structural modifications, including the regression of dendritic branching. While neurogenesis alone appears inadequate to produce such marked changes, an altered rate is likely to affect hippocampal function. There is also strong evidence for neurotransmitter and glucocorticoid-mediated effects on neurogenesis, providing routes for the action of antidepressants. We aim to show how neurogenesis relates to the 'conventional monoaminergic theory of depression' and its modulation by antidepressants.