The Neuroinflammation Perspective of Depression: Reuniting the Outstanding Mechanisms of the Pathophysiology

Abstract

ABSTRACTMajor Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a serious mental health problem that leads to patients' disability and has huge impact on social and economic burden to society. The current available medications for the treatment of depression are mainly targeted on enhancing monoamine neurotransmission. However, antidepressant treatments are still lacking high efficacy in many cases which is associated with low treatment response and remission rates. However, the latest knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of depression indicates that depression is developed by highly complex and integrated mechanisms in which monoaminergic deficiency could only be part of. The paradigm is now shifting from monoaminergic hypothesis to significance of other novel mechanisms that could possibly play substantial role for the development of depression in a highly inter-related manner. In fact, neuroinflammation, amongst other mechanisms does seem to be a key pathological component by having impact on certain pathway pathologies...