Neuroplasticity and depression: Rewiring the brain's networks through pharmacological therapy (Review)
Ioana Rădulescu, A. Drăgoi, S. Trifu, Mihai Bogdan Cristea
Experimental and therapeutic medicine August 5, 2021 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10565 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression Neuroplasticity |
| Key findings | The authors argue that depression is associated with neuroplasticity changes and neuronal atrophy in cortical and limbic regions tied to mood and emotion, and that these changes correlate with symptom severity, negative emotional rumination, and fear learning. They contend that antidepressants such as SSRIs can influence neuroplasticity and reverse some neuroanatomical changes, but take weeks to months to produce a clear therapeutic response, while fast-acting agents like ketamine are of major research interest. |
Abstract
In modern society, depression is one of the most common mental illness; however, its pathophysiology is not yet fully understood. A great body of evidence suggests that depression causes changes in neuroplasticity in specific regions of the brain which are correlated to symptom severity, negative emotional rumination as well as fear learning. Depression is correlated with atrophy of neurons in the cortical and limbic brain regions that control mood and emotion. Antidepressant therapy can exhibit effects on neuroplasticity and reverse the neuroanatomical changes found in depressed patients. The investigation of fast-acting agents that reverse behavioral and neuronal deficiencies of chronic depression, especially the glutamate receptor antagonist NMDA ketamine, and the cellular mechanisms underlying the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine and related agents are of real interest in current research. Actual medication such as serotonin (5-HT) selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, require weeks to months of administration before a clear therapeutic response. The current review aimed to underline the negative effects of depression on neuroplasticity and present the current findings on the effects of antidepressant medication.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A neurotrophic hypothesis of depression: role of synaptogenesis in the actions of NMDA receptor antagonists | 2012 | Review | |
| Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity. Review of preclinical and clinical studies | 2023 | Review | |
| Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation [In the Spotlight] | 2008 | Review | |
| Neuroplasticity as a convergent mechanism of ketamine and classical psychedelics | 2021 | Review | |
| Psychedelics in Psychiatry: Neuroplastic, Immunomodulatory, and Neurotransmitter Mechanisms | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- A non-hallucinogenic LSD analog with therapeutic potential for mood disorders. Cell Reports March 28, 2023
- Psilocybin, an Effective Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder in Adults - A Systematic Review Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience October 16, 2023
- Mind over matter: the microbial mindscapes of psychedelics and the gut-brain axis. Pharmacological Research September 1, 2024
- A systematic review of ketamine and esketamine-induced long-term potentiation and synaptic scaling: Do the molecular and synaptic plasticity effects inform dosing intervals? Journal of Affective Disorders April 15, 2026
- Next generation antidepressants with novel mechanisms for treatment resistant depression. Progress in Brain Research 2023
and 11 more in the library
Cites 4
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- mTOR-Dependent Synapse Formation Underlies the Rapid Antidepressant Effects of NMDA Antagonists Science August 19, 2010
- Ketamine and Other NMDA Antagonists: Early Clinical Trials and Possible Mechanisms in Depression American Journal of Psychiatry October 1, 2015
- Neuroplasticity and the next wave of antidepressant strategies Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 2013