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Plasticity markers in the human brain associated with rapid antidepressants

Neuropsychopharmacology volume 48, pages 223–224 (2023)Cite this article

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Stress and depression are linked to inhibition of plasticity in preclinical models while activation of neurotrophic cascades in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex appears necessary and sufficient for efficacy across antidepressant treatment modalities. These treatments appear to specifically target homeostatic synaptic plasticity mechanisms. Yet, the implications of pharmacological neurotrophic stimulation in mammals remain unknown. How do neurotrophic changes at the lowest levels (molecular, cellular) alter function at the highest levels (psychology, cognition)? Our ability to measure plasticity in humans opens the door to answering this question. Here, we discuss promising approaches for measuring markers of neurotrophic stimulation in humans.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Taylor Family Institute Fund for Innovative Psychiatric Research GF0010787, NIMH Research Education Grant R25 MH112473, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences grant UL1 TR002345 (ICTS Award #5157), and McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience Award #202002165.

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  1. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in Saint Louis, 600 South Taylor Avenue, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Joshua S. Siegel & Ginger E. Nicol

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  1. Joshua S. Siegel
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  2. Ginger E. Nicol
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JSS and GEN contributed to writing of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Joshua S. Siegel.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Siegel, J.S., Nicol, G.E. Plasticity markers in the human brain associated with rapid antidepressants. Neuropsychopharmacol. 48, 223–224 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01400-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01400-7

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