About this Research Topic
Clinical and preclinical studies over the past decades have attempted to uncover the biological factors mediating the pathophysiology of mood disorders; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. Traditional treatments such as classical antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and anti-anxiety medications are only effective for a subpopulation of patients and, amplifying this problem, some of those patients will experience relapse episodes. Moreover, many environmental factors such as stress, childhood trauma or drug addiction can contribute to the development or exacerbation of such diseases. More research is required to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, as well as the contributing factors, that might help the development of novel and more effective treatments. The goal of this Research Topic is to summarize the current suggested mechanisms underlying mood disorders with emphasis on novel findings, contributing factors and novel drug development efforts.
The aim of this Research Topic is to generate new insights into the mechanisms underlying mood disorders at the genetic and neurobiological level. Moreover, we are interested in mechanisms of how contributing factors or comorbid disorders such as stress, microbiome changes and drug addiction influence the development of mood disorders. Both pre-clinical and clinical studies are welcomed, as well as review articles. Specifically, we are interested in submissions addressing the following themes:
• Brain circuits involved in the development of mood disorders
• Genetic underpinnings of mood disorders
• Effects of microbiome changes on mood disorders
• Recent advances on drug development and novel pharmacotherapies for mood disorders
• Drug and alcohol addiction comorbidity with mood disorders and the underlying mechanisms
• Severity of symptomatology and possible interactions with treatment outcomes.
Keywords: depression, bipolar disorder, mood stabilizer, antidepressants, mood disorders
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.