Neurogenesis and depression: what animal models tell us about the link |
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Authors: | Barbara Vollmayr Magdalena M Mahlstedt Fritz A Henn |
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Institution: | (1) Central Institute of Mental Health, J5, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany;(2) School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK;(3) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Directorial Services, New York, NY, USA |
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Abstract: | There is growing evidence that stress causes a decrease of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and antidepressant treatment
in turn stimulates the cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus. This has led to the hypothesis that a decreased neurogenesis
might be linked to the pathophysiology of major depression. The article reviews the relationship of depressive-like behavior
and neurogenesis in three animal models of depression with high validity: learned helplessness, chronic mild stress and chronic
psychosocial stress of the tree shrew. All animal models provide evidence that stress which can lead to depressive-like behavior,
in parallel causes a decrease of neurogenesis; vice versa, antidepressant treatment is able to revert not only behavioral
changes but also to normalize neurogenesis. But the animal models argue against the notion that decreases of neurogenesis
are the cause or the consequence of depressive-like behavior since depressive-like behavior can occur without impairments
in neurogenesis and decreasing neurogenesis does not neccessarily lead to depressive-like behavior. This suggests that neurogenesis
does not directly control affect but is tightly connected to the modulation of affect by stress and antidepressant measures. |
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Keywords: | learned helplessness animal model depression neurogenesis |
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