Understanding depression A translational approach

by Pariante, Carmine M.; Nesse, Randolph M.; Nutt, David; Wolpert, Lewis

• ISBN13: 9780199533077
• ISBN10: 0199533075
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-14
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Depression is a major cause of morbidity throughout the world. Given that between 8 and 12% of the population (in most countries) will suffer from depression at some point in their lives, it is clearly a significant public health problem. As our knowledge of this illness has expanded in recent years, it has become clear that depression can no longer be viewed as a simple disorder of the brain. It has to be seen as a series of behavioural and biological changes that span mind, brain, genes, and body--indeed, affecting both psychological and physical health. This book brings together world leaders in research on depression to discuss, for the first time, in an interdisciplinary setting, both classical and innovative ideas to understand this devastating disorder. It presents neurobiological, psyschological, genetic, and evolutionary models with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms linking the brain to the endocrine and the immune systems, and therefore, linking depression to physical health. Opening with a powerful, personal account of depression that conveys something of the all-consuming, debilitating nature of this illness, the book then presents cutting-edge research from those at the frontier of work in this area. The book is valuable for all those in the brain sciences seeking a state-of-the-art review of this global problem.

Table of Contents

Contributors	p. ix
Experiencing depression	p. 1
Depression in the medically ill	p. 7
Explaining depression: neuroscience is not enough, evolution is essential	p. 17
Evolutionary genetics of affective disorders	p. 37
Genetic factors in stress and major derpession	p. 55
Bipolar disorder and unipolar depression: what is the genetic relationship?	p. 67
The significance of dysregulated basal glucocorticoid pulsatility in affective disorders	p. 77
Early life programming of affective function	p. 91
Modelling depression by GR mutant animals?	p. 111
Cytokines and depression: experimental evidence and intermediate mechanisms	p. 123
Do depression, stress, sleep disruption, and inflammation alter hippocampal apoptosis and neurogenesis?	p. 139
The role of the medial prefrontal cortex in mediating resistance and vulnerability to the impact of adverse events	p. 157
Is it all monoamines?	p. 171
The role of affective processing in vulnerability to and resilience against depression	p. 181
PTSD and HPA axis: same hormones, different disorders	p. 193
	p. Neuroendocri
Neuropsychiatric effects of IFN-alpha: revelance to depression	p. 223
Depression and coronary heart disease	p. 237
Does depression induce pain and fatigue?	p. 249
Explaining the association between depression and morality: a life course epidemiology approach	p. 261
Depression: unipolar or bipolar, what's the difference (and what does it matter anyway)?	p. 275
Can neuroimaging help distinguish bipolar depression from major depressive disorders?	p. 285
Pharmacogenetics of antidepressant response	p. 299
Can the EEG be used to predict antidepressant response?
Can we use magnetic/electric fields to help in treatment-resistant depression?	p. 333
Antiglucocorticoids in the treatment of affective disorders: from preclinical to clinical studies	p. 345
How can we use current knowledge to improve antidepressant treatments?	p. 371
Index	p. 379
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