Neuroplasticity and depression: Rewiring the brain's networks through pharmacological therapy (Review)

In modern society, depression is one of the most common mental illness; however, its pathophysiology is not yet fully understood. A great body of evidence suggests that depression causes changes in neuroplasticity in specific regions of the brain which are correlated to symptom severity, negative emotional rumination as well as fear learning. Depression is correlated with atrophy of neurons in the cortical and limbic brain regions that control mood and emotion. Antidepressant therapy can exhibit effects on neuroplasticity and reverse the neuroanatomical changes found in depressed patients. The investigation of fast-acting agents that reverse behavioral and neuronal deficiencies of chronic depression, especially the glutamate receptor antagonist NMDA ketamine, and the cellular mechanisms underlying the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine and related agents are of real interest in current research. Actual medication such as serotonin (5-HT) selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, require weeks to months of administration before a clear therapeutic response. The current review aimed to underline the negative effects of depression on neuroplasticity and present the current findings on the effects of antidepressant medication.