Major Depressive Disorder
New England Journal of MedicinePublished 3 January 2008
Robert H. Belmaker, Galila Agam
Citations2,137
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score19.08
SNIP13.47
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TL;DR
This review presents the major current approaches to understanding the biologic mechanisms of major depression and defines depression as a heterogeneous disorder with a highly variable course, an inconsistent response to treatment, and no established mechanism.
Abstract
This review of major depressive disorder is a comprehensive account of the genetic, biochemical, and neurophysiological changes that have been implicated in the disorder. No single mechanism can account for all the clinical variations in this condition. The monoamine oxidase theory can explain many of the actions of antidepressants, but genetic factors, stress, and psychosocial factors also play a part in depression.
Keywords
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Biological Psychiatry3D MRI studies of neuroanatomic changes in unipolar major depression: the role of stress and medical comorbidity
492 Citations2000Yvette I. Sheline
Combining MRI studies with functional studies has the potential to localize abnormalities in blood flow, metabolism, and neurotransmitter receptors and provide a better integrated model of depression.
Trends in Pharmacological SciencesLithium and GSK-3: one inhibitor, two inhibitory actions, multiple outcomes
491 Citations2003Richard S. Jope
New surprises from studies of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) show that lithium reduces GSK-3 activity in two ways, both directly and by increasing the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3.
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesRegulation of dopaminergic transmission and cocaine reward by the <i>Clock</i> gene
491 Citations2005Colleen A. McClung, Kyriaki Sidiropoulou +5 more
A role is established for the Clock gene in regulating dopamine function and cocaine reward in mice lacking a functional Clock gene, and changes in several genes known to regulate dopamine activity in the ventral tegmental area are demonstrated.
American Journal of PsychiatryInitiation and adaptation: a paradigm for understanding psychotropic drug action
487 Citations1996Steven E. Hyman, Eric J. Nestler
A paradigm is presented to help understand the long-term effects of psychotropic drugs, including the latency in onset of their therapeutic actions, as well as to a better understanding of the architecture and function of neural systems.
NeuronLoss-of-Function Mutation in Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2 Identified in Unipolar Major Depression
465 Citations2005Xiao-Dong Zhang, Raul R. Gainetdinov +7 more
Identification of a loss-of-function mutation in hTPH2 suggests that defect in brain serotonin synthesis may represent an important risk factor for unipolar major depression.
American Economic ReviewAn Opponent-Process Theory of Motivation
464 Citations2008Richard L. Solomon, John Corbit
Archives of General PsychiatryQuantitative Cerebral Anatomy in Depression
459 Citations1993C. Edward Coffey
Cerebral anatomy was used to examine cerebral anatomy in 48 inpatients with severe depression who were referred for electroconvulsive therapy and in 76 normal control subjects, and no group differences were observed in the volumes of the cerebral hemispheres, the temporal lobes, or the amygdala-hippocampal complex.
Journal of NeuroscienceAntidepressant-Induced Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus of Adult Nonhuman Primates
452 Citations2007Tarique D. Perera, Jeremy D. Coplan +11 more
It is demonstrated that ECS is capable of inducing neurogenesis in the nonhuman primate hippocampus and supports the possibility that antidepressant interventions produce similar alterations in the human brain.
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