Synaptic plasticity in anti-depression: Research advances / 国际药学研究杂志

ABSTRACT

Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by long-lasting sadness, loss of interest and desperation. People with depressive disorder have a high suicide risk, so depression has become a serious threat to an individual's health and life. Currently, development of anti-depressants is largely limited due to the complexity of this disorder. Clinically available antidepressants are still unable to meet the needs of patients because of both low efficacy and side effects. Recently, with the in-depth study, substantial evidence reveals that abnormalities in synaptic plasticity play important roles during the process of depression. Improving synaptic plasticity will be beneficial to ameliorating depressive symptoms and the accompanying cognitive dysfunction. Here, we review the role of synaptic plasticity during the development of depression and its association with brain-derived neurotrophic factor, astrocytes and microglia.