Study shows how physical health affects mental health via brain pathways

Several biological processes involving organs and the brain play a key role in physical and mental health, in line with a brand new study from UCL, the University of Melbourne and the University of Cambridge.

The study was conducted in Nature Mental HealthUK Biobank analysed data from greater than 18,000 people. Of those, 7,749 people had no serious clinically diagnosed medical or mental illness, while 10,334 had reported a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety.

Using modern statistical models, the researchers found that there’s a significant association between poorer organ health and more severe depressive symptoms and that the brain plays a very important role in linking physical health and depression.

The organ systems examined included the lungs, muscles and bones, kidneys, liver, heart, and the metabolic and immune systems.

Dr. Ye Ella Tian, ​​​​lead writer of the study from the Department of psychiatry on the University of Melbourne, said: “Overall, we’ve found several significant pathways by which poor organ health can result in poor brain health, which in turn can result in poor mental health.”

“By integrating clinical data, brain imaging, and a big selection of organ-specific biomarkers right into a large population-based cohort, we were capable of discover for the primary time multiple pathways by which the brain acts as a mediating factor and by which poor physical health of the body’s organ systems can result in poor mental health.

“We now have identified modifiable lifestyle aspects which have the potential to enhance mental health through their effects on these specific organ systems and neurobiology.

“Our work provides a holistic characterization of brain, body, lifestyle and mental health.”

Physical health was also taken under consideration, as were lifestyle aspects equivalent to sleep quality, food regimen, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption.

Even though it is well-known in healthcare that every one organs and systems of the body affect one another, this is never taken under consideration in research studies. Due to this fact, these results are exciting as they really highlight the worth of mixing measurements from different parts of the body.”

Professor James Cole, study writer, UCL Computer Science

Professor Andrew Zalesky, an writer of the study from the Departments of Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering on the University of Melbourne, said: “This is important work because we’ve demonstrated the link between physical health and depression and anxiety and the way that is partly influenced by individual changes in brain structure.”

“Our results suggest that poor physical health of multiple organ systems, equivalent to the liver and heart, immune system, and muscles and bones, can result in subsequent changes in brain structure.

“These structural changes within the brain can result in or worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety, in addition to neuroticism.”