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Depression as a Consequence of Inadequate Neurochemical Adaptation in Response to Stressors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

Hymie Anisman  and
Robert M. Zacharko
Hymie Anisman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Unit for Behavioral Medicine and Pharmacology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
Robert M. Zacharko
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Unit for Behavioral Medicine and Pharmacology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
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Extract

Stressors induce behavioural disturbances and neurochemical changes in animals, some of which are reminiscent of the symptoms and presumed neurochemical concomitants of depression in humans. Just as in humans, where considerable inter-individual variability is evident in the symptom profile of depression, there is marked inter-individual and inter-strain variability in the behavioural effects of stressors in animals. It is proposed that stressors induce adaptive neurochemical changes, failure of which may engender behavioural disturbances. Variability in the symptoms of depression and in the efficacy of its pharmacological treatment may reflect the biochemical heterogeneity of the illness. Inter-individual differences in vulnerability to stressor-provoked neurochemical changes may contribute to the behavioural profiles observed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 160 , Issue S15: Stress, Serotonin and Tianeptine , February 1992 , pp. 36 - 43
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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