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Long-term Depression

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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.

Long-term Depression

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Closed-Loop Neurostimulation for Biomarker-Driven, Personalized Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

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Finding a biosignature for melancholic depression.

Claire V A Day¹, Leanne M Williams

¹Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute and Psychiatry, University of Sydney Medical School-Westmead, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia. claire.day@sydney.edu.au

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics

|August 3, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Melancholia, a severe subtype of major depressive disorder (MDD), is examined for its distinct clinical and neurobiological features. Research explores its potential as a separate diagnosis or specifier, seeking a reliable biosignature.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Melancholia presents with psychomotor slowing, anxiety, appetite loss, and sleep disturbances.
It is observed in 20-30% of major depressive disorder (MDD) cases.
Current diagnostic criteria (e.g., DSM-5) debate whether melancholia is a distinct entity or an MDD specifier.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the historical and theoretical origins of melancholia within MDD.
To outline the current understanding of melancholia's neurobiology.
To discuss the potential for identifying a neurobiological biosignature for melancholia.

Main Methods:

Literature review of the construct of melancholia in MDD.
Analysis of theoretical grounding and defining characteristics.
Examination of neurobiological research and the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative.

Main Results:

The construct of melancholia has evolved, with ongoing debate regarding its classification.
Neurobiological research is beginning to elucidate potential differences in melancholic MDD.
The RDoC framework provides a model for reclassifying psychiatric constructs based on neurobiology.

Conclusions:

Clarifying the status of melancholic MDD requires integrating clinical and neurobiological data.
Identifying a biosignature for melancholia could significantly advance diagnosis and treatment.
Future research should focus on validating neurobiological markers for melancholic depression.