Having to undergo kidney dialysis for several hours, three times a week, inevitably impacts on the well-being of patients with chronic kidney disease. Many show symptoms of clinical depression.
Unfortunately, drug treatments for depression work for only a minority. And depression not only makes patients’ lives more miserable – it worsens their symptoms and reduces their life expectancy.
However, research is showing that there may also be biological reasons for their depression. There is growing evidence that inflammation, a feature of chronic kidney disease, may affect the brain. Just as an illness like flu can have a severe but short-lived effect on mood and behaviour, ongoing kidney disease may be having a long-term impact on mood circuits in the brain.
To investigate this idea, researchers in the Barts Diabetic Kidney Centre – set up with funding from Barts Charity – have teamed up with laboratory scientist Dr Livia Carvalho to explore possible links between inflammation and depression in chronic kidney disease patients.
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