Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Depression: Overview

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive disorders result from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, each contributing uniquely to the development and persistence of the condition. Understanding these factors provides critical insight into the multifaceted nature of depression.
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, diminished pleasure in life, and a significant impact on daily functioning. These conditions are most prevalent in individuals during their 30s and affect women at twice the rate of men. Contrary to popular belief, younger individuals are generally more susceptible to these disorders than older adults. Two key types of depressive disorders include Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition marked by significant mood fluctuations, including episodes of mania and depression. Elevated energy levels, heightened mood or irritability, impulsive behavior, reduced sleep needs, rapid speech, racing thoughts, inflated self-esteem, and distractibility characterize mania. Individuals with bipolar disorder often alternate between depressive and manic states, with periods of emotional stability lasting an average of six months to a year.

Long-term Depression

Long-term Depression

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The Use of Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) in the Management of Patients with Difficult-to-Treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): An Expert Consensus Statement.

Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment·2026

Same author

Is It Time for a Universal Outcome Measure to Deliver on the Promises of Interventional Psychiatry?

The American journal of psychiatry·2026

Same author

Derivation of an updated brief multivariable prediction model to detect panic-related anxiety in emergency department patients with cardiopulmonary complaints.

Frontiers in psychiatry·2026

Same author

Assessing symptom severity in patients with markedly treatment-resistant depression: Insights from the RECOVER trial.

Journal of affective disorders·2026

Same author

Factors associated with interpersonal retraumatization in children and adolescents: A prospective study.

Psychiatry research·2025

Same author

The trajectory of symptom change over the course of transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depressive disorder.

Brain stimulation·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Folate and unipolar depression.

David W Morris¹, Madhukar H Trivedi, A John Rush

¹Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390-9119, USA. davidw.morris@utsouthwestern.edu

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.)

|March 29, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Folate supplementation can improve treatment outcomes for major depressive disorder (MDD). This natural agent enhances antidepressant effectiveness in patients with MDD, regardless of folate levels.

More Related Videos

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice

Published on: October 24, 2018

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice

Published on: October 24, 2018

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Area of Science:

Nutritional Psychiatry
Pharmacological Augmentation Strategies
Mental Health Research

Background:

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) treatment with antidepressants alone has suboptimal remission rates.
Folate is a well-tolerated, natural agent that may improve treatment outcomes in MDD.
Patients with depression often exhibit lower folate levels compared to controls.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the clinical utility of folate augmentation in MDD treatment.
To examine the association between folate levels and antidepressant response.
To assess the efficacy of folate supplementation in diverse patient groups.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on folate augmentation in MDD.
Analysis of research on folate levels in depressed versus non-depressed individuals.
Examination of recent studies on folate supplementation effects.

Main Results:

Lower serum and red blood cell folate levels are consistently found in patients with depression.
Decreased folate levels correlate with reduced response rates to standard antidepressants.
Folate supplementation has shown to increase medication response in both treatment-naïve and treatment-resistant MDD patients, irrespective of baseline folate status.

Conclusions:

Folate augmentation can benefit patients with MDD, including those with normal folate levels.
Supplementation may be effective when initiated at the start of treatment or later for treatment resistance.
Folate represents a promising strategy to enhance antidepressant pharmacotherapy outcomes.