The Importance of Walking for Brain Function Health

Psychiatry Specialist Dr. Emine Yağmur Zorbozan from NP Feneryolu Medical Center, evaluated the effects of depression on brain functions and treatment methods. She emphasized the importance of regular walking for brain health.

Dr. Emine Yağmur Zorbozan, who stated that depression is a psychiatric disease that affects brain functions and is accompanied by emotional symptoms such as despair and gloom, as well as physical complaints, said, “If not treated, it can lead to loss of ability and dementia over time.”

It can cause problems in emotion regulation

Dr. Emine Yağmur Zorbozan, explaining that understanding events, interpreting them and feeling emotions as a result of these interpretations are managed in a complex way in cooperation by various areas of the brain, noted that any disruption in these areas of the brain can cause problems in emotion regulation due to transmission difficulties or structural disorders.

The limbic system is also affected by depressive processes

Dr. Emine Yağmur Zorbozan, stating that especially the area responsible for thought and interpretation called the prefrontal cortex of the brain and also the limbic system are affected during depressive processes, said, “In depression diagnosis, the diagnosis is made clinically, that is, the examining physician diagnoses by evaluating the information obtained from the person and the person’s biological and neuropsychological data together. MRI, which provides information about the anatomical structure of the brain, and EEG showing its functional status should definitely be done in the first psychiatric applications. Diseases that could cause depression such as mass, shrinkage in brain structure, epilepsy should be excluded. Recent research shows that changes in EEG can be used as a biological marker in depression diagnosis and can make predictions about the course of the disease.”

Walking and meditation are good for depression

Dr. Emine Yağmur Zorbozan said, “Walking, meditation and other exercises are among the most effective methods in depression treatment after drugs and psychotherapies because they activate certain areas of the brain and enable the release of substances such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphin.”