Neurobiology of Depression: Road to Novel Therapeutics (Original PDF)
Depression is one of the most common mental-health disorders caused by a variety of genetic, biological, environmental and psychological factors. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is typically treated with first-line antidepressant agents that primarily target monoamine neurotransmission. However, only approximately one-third of patients with MDD achieve remission following a trial with such an antidepressant. Furthermore, MDD is a heterogeneous phenotype, and new frameworks, such as the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) may provide a more accurate, biologically based comprehension of the symptomatic heterogeneity of this devastating illness.