Researchers studying young adults with major depressive disorder have reported an unusual energy “signature” in both the brain and immune blood cells: higher ATP-related measures at rest, paired with a reduced ability to increase energy production when demand rises. The findings, published in Translational Psychiatry, may help explain common symptoms such as fatigue and low motivation, though the work is early and based on a small sample.
A study in Translational Psychiatry reports evidence of altered cellular energy dynamics in young adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), with changes observed in both the brain and peripheral blood.
Researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the University of Minnesota examined adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—often described as the cell’s energy “currency”—using brain imaging and blood-based tests. In the study, a University of Minnesota team collected brain scans and blood samples from 18 participants aged 18 to 25 who had been diagnosed with MDD, and the Queensland Brain Institute team analyzed and compared the results with samples from participants without depression.
According to the researchers, cells from participants with depression showed higher ATP-related measures while at rest, but a diminished ability to increase energy production when demand rose. Associate Professor Susannah Tye of UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute said the results suggest depressive symptoms could be tied to fundamental changes in how brain and blood cells use energy, and noted that fatigue is a common symptom that can be difficult to treat.
Queensland Brain Institute researcher Dr. Roger Varela said the pattern was unexpected because energy production might be presumed to be lower in depression. He added that the results are consistent with a compensatory process early in illness, in which cells appear to “overwork” at baseline but have less capacity to meet higher demand—an effect the team said could help explain symptoms including low mood, reduced motivation and slower cognitive function.
The study was led by the University of Minnesota’s Dr. Kathryn R. Cullen. The ATP-imaging method used in the brain scans was developed by Professors Xiao Hong Zhu and Wei Chen, the release said.
The authors and institutions described the findings as a step toward more biologically precise approaches to understanding depression. The paper itself characterizes the work as an early demonstration of an ATP-related biosignature of fatigue in young adults with MDD that is detectable in both brain and peripheral blood, and it calls for further research to determine how these measures relate to the course of illness and response to treatment.
