Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Depression: Overview01:18

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: Etiology01:27

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...
Long-term Depression01:03

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...
Long-term Depression01:05

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.
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia01:27

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...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Synaptic density in the hippocampus of depressed patients: A quantitative electron microscopic study.

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry·2026
Same author

Human brain prefrontal cortex proteomics identifies compromised energy metabolism and neuronal function in Schizophrenia.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Transcriptomic and genetic analysis suggests a role for mitochondrial dysregulation in schizophrenia.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2025
Same author

Paranode length in the prefrontal cortex of subjects with major depression and rats under chronic unpredictable stress.

Journal of affective disorders·2025
Same author

Demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals with psychosis symptoms who died by suicide: Findings of a psychological autopsy study.

Psychiatry research·2024
Same author

Extracellular matrix abnormalities in the hippocampus of subjects with substance use disorder.

Translational psychiatry·2024
Same journal

Mapping topological abnormalities in cortical similarity networks to schizophrenia-associated gene expression.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Poor sleep quality correlates with axial symptoms and mood problems in Parkinson's disease.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Comparisons of thalamocortical functional connectivity in transgender women and cisgender individuals: associations with cognition in a Chinese cohort.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

The Arabic Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2 (GAD-2): Psychometric evaluation among mothers of children with intellectual disabilities.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Polarisation of brain dynamics in mania and depression.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)
05:47

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)

Published on: September 23, 2021

Cellular abnormalities in depression: evidence from postmortem brain tissue.

Craig A Stockmeier1, Grazyna Rajkowska

  • 1The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jackson, Miss, USA.

Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
|October 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neuroimaging and postmortem studies reveal brain region dysfunction and cellular changes in depression. Integrating these approaches enhances understanding of mood disorder pathophysiology.

Keywords:
bipolar disordergliamajor depressionneuronneuropathologypostmortem brain

More Related Videos

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
08:29

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans

Published on: December 18, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)
05:47

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)

Published on: September 23, 2021

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
08:29

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans

Published on: December 18, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Depression is linked to neurochemical abnormalities.
  • In vivo neuroimaging identifies dysfunctional brain regions.
  • Postmortem studies examine brain tissue for pathophysiology insights.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To integrate findings from in vivo neuroimaging and postmortem brain tissue studies.
  • To understand the pathophysiology of depression by examining cellular changes.
  • To link microscopic cellular alterations with macroscopic brain region dysfunction.

Main Methods:

  • In vivo neuroimaging studies to locate dysfunctional brain areas.
  • Postmortem brain tissue analysis including neuroanatomical, pharmacological, and biochemical studies.
  • Cell-counting studies to assess neuron and glia density and size in specific brain regions.

Main Results:

  • Neuroimaging studies pinpointed dysfunctional regions in depression.
  • Postmortem studies revealed neurochemical, cellular morphology, and distribution abnormalities.
  • Cell-counting identified altered neuron and glia density/size in frontolimbic regions (e.g., prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus).

Conclusions:

  • Convergence of cellular and neuroimaging findings provides a comprehensive view of depression pathophysiology.
  • Microscopic cellular changes correlate with macroscopic brain region dysfunction.
  • Future research should integrate longitudinal clinical studies with postmortem analyses for deeper insights.