Abstract

Mood disorders are common, chronic, recurrent mental illnesses that affect the lives of millions of individuals worldwide. To date, the monoaminergic systems (serotonergic, noradrenergic and dopaminergic) in the brain have received the greatest attention in neurobiological studies of mood disorders, and most therapeutics target these systems. However, there is growing evidence that the glutamatergic system is central to the neurobiology and treatment of these disorders. Here, we review data supporting the involvement of the glutamatergic system in mood-disorder pathophysiology as well as the efficacy of glutamatergic agents in mood disorders. We also discuss exciting new prospects for the development of improved therapeutics for these devastating disorders.

Author affiliations

1. Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA.
2. Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Research Program, NIMH–NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
3. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Correspondence to: Husseini K. Manji² Email: manjih@mail.nih.gov

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