Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5844347 | Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry | 2014 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
Clinical research has demonstrated a significant sex difference in the occurrence of depressive disorders. Beginning at pubertal onset, women report a higher incidence of depression than men. Women are also vulnerable to the development of depressive disorders such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression. These disorders are associated with reproductive stages involving changes in gonadal hormone levels. Specifically, female depression and female affective behaviors are influenced by estradiol levels. This review argues two major mechanisms by which estrogens influence depression and depressive-like behavior: through interactions with neurotrophic factors and through an influence on the serotonergic system. In particular, estradiol increases brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels within the brain, and alters serotonergic expression in a receptor subtype-specific manner. We will take a regional approach, examining these effects of estrogens in the major brain areas implicated in depression. Finally, we will discuss the gaps in our current knowledge of the effects of estrogens on female depression, and the potential utility for estrogen receptor modulators in treatment for this disorder.
Keywords
DMPFCERKMDDFSTNGFDLPFCDRN5-HIAATrkBAMYGACCvmPFCTphHPGNT-4PMDDGPR30pTrkBGnRHDSMmRNA5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acidBDNFDNAmessenger RNAforced swim testAmygdalaMajor depressive disorderpremenstrual dysphoric disorderEstrogendeoxyribonucleic acidRNAribonucleic acidDepressionPostpartumfunctional magnetic resonance imagingfMRIPositron emission tomographyTyrosine kinase BDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersWomenFemaleSERTSerotoninserotonin transporterbrain derived neurotrophic factorVascular endothelial growth factorVascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)nerve growth factorMenstrualanterior cingulate cortexdorsomedial prefrontal cortexdorsolateral prefrontal cortexBrainSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitorSSRIHPANeurotrophin-4Dorsal raphe nucleiGonadotropin-releasing hormoneHydroxytryptaminetryptophan hydroxylasehypothalamo-pituitary-adrenalPETPerimenopauseventromedial prefrontal cortexextracellular signal-regulated kinaseEstrogen receptor
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Authors
Amanda P. Borrow, Nicole M. Cameron,