This Research Topic is the second volume in the series: Community Series in Early Life Stress and Depression: Volume II, the earlier volume can be viewed
here.
Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and affects more than 17% of the population, making it one of the most prevalent health-related causes of human suffering. However, the mechanisms of depression are far from clear. The most widely accepted theory about depression points to stress, especially early life stress. Even though compelling evidence from genetic studies and pharmacological studies points to dysfunction of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) hormones and their related central monoamine network, the exact mechanisms of how early life stress affects adult depression are still not clear.
From a neuroscience perspective, the neural plasticity underlying stress undoubtedly affects brain function and may prompt functional alternations in mental disorders. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which was named the stress hormone, in both animals and humans, can simulate norepinephrine (NE) synthesis, dopamine, and 5-HT. These monoamines are the substrates of many mental disorders, such as depression. CRH release also activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which has been widely accepted as one of the central mechanisms involved in stress. The CRH induces the release of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), which can, in turn, alter the function of the neural network by altering building blocks in the networks and by altering the integrative properties, and thus the behavioral or emotional changes. Indeed, some early life events can induce epigenetic changes, which are related to depression, such as methylation DNA of MAO (monoamine oxidase), or through miRNA changes. In this Research Topic, we invite research studies on early life traumatic events with depression. We welcome the following submission formats: original quantitative or qualitative research, review, perspective, and case studies. The topics might include but are not limited to:
1. Psychological mechanisms about early life stress leading to depression, such as attachment, and lifestyle changes after early life stress.
2. Early life stress-induced emotional changes, cognitive changes, and lifestyle changes which might be related to depression.
3. Neurobiological mechanisms about early life stress with adult depression, such as epigenetics.
4. Early life stress-induced brain functional changes, such as ERP changes, and fMRI changes.
