Major depressive disorder

Reward expectations – one’s prediction about the likelihood of future outcomes - play a central role in shaping the satisfaction derived from those outcomes. Most existing research treats expectations as static, assuming they remain fixed in time. However, real-life expectations are often dynamic, fluctuating as new information becomes available. For example, during a soccer game, your expectations of seeing your team winning will likely rise and fall as the game unfolds. In the main part of this talk, I will present a series of studies demonstrating that human expectations can be tracked at s

Frontal alpha asymmetry in Major Depressive Disorder has been widely examined in EEG research. Recently, the EEG has also been suggested as a potential diagnostic biomarker for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a recurrent Major Depressive Disorder with a seasonal pattern. However, thus far no studies have been conducted in the dark Icelandic winter to examine whether frontal alpha asymmetry can be detected also among individuals with elevated risk for seasonality. EEG data was recorded in 122 participants (34 men) during rest (3 minutes) in spring, summer, fall and winter in Iceland. At each

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most disabling psychiatric disorders in the world. First-line treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) still have many limitations, including a resistance to treatment in 30% of patients and a delayed clinical benefit that is observed only after several weeks of treatment. Increasing clinical evidence indicates that the acute administration of psychedelic agonists of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR), such as psilocybin, to patients with MDD induce fast antidepressant effects, which persist up to five weeks. However,

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly disabling psychiatric syndrome affecting many aspects of behavior and cognitive functions, including memory. MDD is strongly associated with stress and with deficits in specific subpopulations of GABAergic interneurons. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms linking these observations are not fully understood. The activity-regulated gene Arc/Arg3.1 is rapidly up-regulated by acquiring novel experience, learning and memory, and synaptic plasticity-inducing stimuli1,2. Acute stress has also been reported to elevate the levels of Arc/Arg3.1 mRNA o

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a widespread mental health condition affecting over 280 million people worldwide and is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) being the first line of treatment for MDD, 30-40% of patients do not achieve remission, with chronic low-level inflammation linked to treatment resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen compared to the SSRI fluoxetine in a mouse model of inflamed depression. The objective was to explore whether anti-inflammatory dr

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent global cause of disability, affecting approximately 5% of adults, and has a higher incidence in females. Despite its significant impact, its diverse symptoms and causes lack clear identification, hindering effective treatments. Understanding the underlying mechanisms is crucial. Studies in various brain areas indicate an astrocyte pathology in MDD, revealing reduced numbers and altered morphology, gene, and protein expression. Astrocytes influence synapse remodeling, crucial for neuronal network maturation. Notably, their phagocytic ability, facil

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent, persistent and severe psychiatric condition characterized by persistent feelings of depression, anhedonia, and occasional suicidal thoughts, with stress identified as a major trigger. Previous research from our lab has shown changes in mouse emotional and cognitive behavior, and cellular and molecular alterations in some brain areas such as hippocampus, striatum and prefrontal cortex. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying depression remain elusive, and so, an effective treatment. To tackle this issue, cannabidiol (CBD) treatment has emerged as a

…Major depressive disorder (MDD), one of the most prevalent and debilitating psychiatric diseases, is characterized by severe symptoms that negatively influence health perception. Unfortunately, even after antidepressant treatments, a high percentage of patients do not achieve a personal full recovery. Therefore, we decided to i) evaluate the biological, molecular and

…Considering the observed link between major depressive disorder (MDD) and a lower hippocampal volume (MacQueen et al. 2011), investigating ketamine-induced neuroplastic changes in this region may contribute to understand treatment effects.In a placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover study 36 healthy subjects (17males, 23.8±3.75 years) received either 0.5mg/kg racemic ketamine or placebo 4 hours before MRI scans. FreeSurfer7.1 was used for the hippocampal subfi

Major depressive disorder (MDD) significantly impacts the global population. MDD individuals often exhibit a negative processing bias, scrutinized through the approach-avoidance (Ap-Av) decision-making task. The fronto-cingulo-striatal (FCS) network, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC), pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC) and striatum, is involved in MDD. Further, neural manipulations of the dlPFC and sgACC show promise in alleviating MDD symptoms. In non-human primates, beta-band oscillatory activity in the striatum correlat

…central nervous system (CNS) disorders. However, further characterization of miRNA biomarkers is needed to identify key factors for diagnosing CNS disorders. In this study, we aimed to detect and characterize a differentially expressed miRNA as a biomarker for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We performed RNA sequencing o

The molecular nature of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and major depression is still unclear. Lipids may play an important role in the understanding of these disorders, as they are the most abundant yet poorly studied components of the human brain. In this work, we present a comparative lipidomic map of the human brain affected by schizophrenia or major depressive disorder. The study involved three groups of donors, 7 donors each, which included schizophrenic and depressive donors as well as healthy controls. The lipid composition of 36 brain regions was evaluated by liquid chroma

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is characterized by a constellation of symptoms, summarized into three major categories: passive coping strategies, anhedonia, and social impairment.The use of animal models can help to explore these symptoms and investigate their underlying mechanisms, such as oxytocinergic and opioids alterations within the mesocorticolimbic circuit.Exposure to Early Life Adversities (ELA), including Attachment Bond Disruption and Adverse Childhood Experiences, such as Neglect, represents one of the most important risk factors for development of MMD.To model attachment disrupt

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating disorder whose etiology remains unclear. Small RNA molecules, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), have been implicated in MDD, where they display differential expression in the brain and periphery. Hence, numerous studies have identified altered gene expression and changes in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in MDD, which appear to be related to antidepressant treatment response. Here, we quantified miRNA expression by small RNA sequencing in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) of individuals with MDD/suicide and healthy controls. miRNA

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) poses a global burden, affecting over 300 million individuals and presenting a significant therapeutic challenge due to the limited efficacy of conventional antidepressants. The investigation of rapid-acting antidepressants, exemplified by ketamine, has garnered attention, yet the intricate underlying processes remain incompletely understood.This study systematically evaluated the acute effects of ketamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and fluoxetine (3 x 10 mg/kg, i.p.) on depression-like behavior in animal models subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS, 6 weeks) and chr

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a great challenge for psychiatry with up to 40% of treatment-resistant patients. Therefore, non-pharmacological interventions such as different diets seem a promising tool. Ketogenic diet (KD) is a powerful tool for epilepsy and metabolic diseases while new clinical and animal studies show also its potential against mental disorders such as MDD, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia. Several neurobiological pathways have been suggested to mediate effect of KD for the brain and mental health with neurotrophic and neuroplasticity factor BDNF among them. Therefore

Major depressive disorder is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder which afflicts approximately 14-20% of the general population; of those individuals, approximately 30% are treatment resistant to antidepressant medications. Recently, the FDA has approved a novel antidepressant, Zuranolone for use in individuals who suffer from postpartum depression and, this drug has shown very promising results. Using 488uM thick hippocampal brain slices, local field potential (LFP) recordings were conducted and analyzed for changes in sharp wave ripple (SWR) complexes. In order to assess in-vivo changes

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a high-prevalence neuropsychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood and anxiety. The risk of suffering MDD is higher in people with obesity and metabolic dysregulation. We will evaluate the effect of a high-fat diet (HFD) and the impact of gender on behavioural, neurochemical and molecular markers associated with depression/anxiety.Male and female C57BL/6 mice, 6-weeks old, were given a 7-week HFD (60% fat). The behavioural tests performed were: open field test (OFT), novelty-suppressed feeding (NSF) test, sucrose preference test (SPT), and tail susp

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder and a major cause of global health burden, affecting approximately 280 million people. Traditional antidepressants primarily target the monoaminergic system, have significant side effects and leave approximately 40% of patients unresponsive to treatment. Ketamine (KET) is a fast-acting antidepressant that transiently inhibits N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) to produce its antidepressant effects. KET is rapidly metabolised to hydroxynorketamine (HNK), which reduces depressive behaviour in rodents. HNK has been shown to

Chronic psychosocial stress is a major etiological risk factor for major depressive disorder. Preclinical studies have shown that chronic stress can suppress adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG). The primary goal of the present study was to test whether chronic stress and cortisol level translate into detectable changes in DG in humans. We recruited 55 participants without a history of psychiatric disorders. Clinical symptoms, perceived stress, and chronic stressors were rated on the Mood & Anxiety Disorders Symptom Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, and Trier Inventory for Chr

Mental disorders contribute significantly to the global burden, and pharmacological therapy is the primary approach for managing major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the current response to treatment is not satisfactory, highlighting the need for effective strategies to predict the effectiveness of antidepressants. This study aimed to analyze a polygenic risk score and utilize a pharmacogenomic enrichment score (PES) to identify potential drugs and propose a viable treatment strategy for MDD patients. MDD data from the Taiwan Biobank were filtered using various p-value thresholds. Gene-se

…with mental illnesses, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite being one of the most prevalent mental disorders, the pathogenic mechanisms of MDD remain unclear. Serotonin has been associated with MDD as a promising factor for over 60 years. However, serotonergic dynamics have only recently been linked to corticolimbic network activity. We aim to investigate the effect of serotonin on corticolimbic network activity, specifically in the media

…events may leads to chronic fear disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the high prevalence of such disorders, effective treatments for trauma remain scarce. Recently, psilocybin has emerged as a promising drug for major depressive disorder (MDD) and potentially PTSD. However, its mechanism of action and how it could

Although the neurobiological mechanisms underlying major depressive disorder (MDD) are not fully understood, accumulating evidence suggests an association between MDD and reduced levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. The present study used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) with the Mescher-Garwood point-resolved spectroscopy sequence (MEGA-PRESS) to measure GABA levels in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC)/medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). We also assessed resting-state functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Ana