In depression the brain region for stress control is larger

(Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences) Although depression is one of the leading psychiatric disorders in Germany, its cause remains unclear. A recent study at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) in Leipzig, Germany, found that those affected by depressive disorder have a larger hypothalamus compared to their healthy counterparts. This could explain why many sufferers show increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and are very often afflicted with periods of tension.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news