NEUROPHARMACOLOGY OF DEPRESSION: A REVIEW
AbstractThe selected theories are based on studies investigating the possible role of stress hormones and cytokine; gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA); glutamate; monoaminergic transmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine; omega-3 fatty acid; T-cell; β-endorphine; synaptic plasticity; endocrine system and endocannabinoids in the pathophysiology of depression. Because all theories of depression apply to only some types of depressed patients but not others, and because depressive pathophysiology may vary considerably across the course of illness, the current extant knowledge argues against a unified hypothesis of depression. As a consequence, antidepressant treatments, including psychological and biological approaches, should be tailored for individual patients and disease states. Individual depression hypotheses based on neurobiological knowledge are discussed in terms of their interest to both clinicians in daily practice and clinical researchers developing novel therapies.
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