About this Research Topic
This Research Topic is the second volume of Neural Circuits and Neuroendocrine Mechanisms of Major Depressive Disorder and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Towards Precise Targets for Translational Medicine and Drug Development. Please see the first volume here.
With the intensified social competition and increased psychological pressure in modern society, the impact of emotions on people’s health has attracted increasing attention from all walks of life. Particularly, major depressive disorder (MDD) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are two common types of Depressive Disorders in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which exhibit high morbidity, and seriously threaten peoples’ lives and health. The regulation of emotions by the brain is specific to brain regions and cells, and involves complex changes in neural circuits and neuroendocrine levels. However, the unclear drug targets and mechanisms limit the further improvement of psychotropic drugs efficacy. At present, 30%-40% of patients with MDD or PMDD are insensitive to drug treatment. Therefore, further research into the neural circuits and neural endocrine mechanisms of MDD and PMDD, and the treatment moving towards translational medicine and drug development, are keys to solving the above problems.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of MDD and PMDD, especially regarding the neural circuits and neuroendocrine mechanisms. This information will provide a basis and possible clues for clinical treatments and drug development. We encourage animal experiments based on clinical efficacy, and especially welcome work in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. We also encourage studies verifying clinical efficacy or pathogenesis directly within a population or group of patients. Such studies will provide more direct first-hand evidence of the pathogenesis of MDD and PMDD. We also welcome proposed new animal models or experimental paradigms, as well as improvements to existing models and paradigms, because such models and paradigms are essential to the development and progress of this field.
Concerning the types of manuscripts, besides theoretical/opinion papers and narrative literature reviews, all types of papers involving animal experiments or clinical trials will be considered for acceptance.
With the intensified social competition and increased psychological pressure in modern society, the impact of emotions on people’s health has attracted increasing attention from all walks of life. Particularly, major depressive disorder (MDD) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are two common types of Depressive Disorders in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which exhibit high morbidity, and seriously threaten peoples’ lives and health. The regulation of emotions by the brain is specific to brain regions and cells, and involves complex changes in neural circuits and neuroendocrine levels. However, the unclear drug targets and mechanisms limit the further improvement of psychotropic drugs efficacy. At present, 30%-40% of patients with MDD or PMDD are insensitive to drug treatment. Therefore, further research into the neural circuits and neural endocrine mechanisms of MDD and PMDD, and the treatment moving towards translational medicine and drug development, are keys to solving the above problems.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of MDD and PMDD, especially regarding the neural circuits and neuroendocrine mechanisms. This information will provide a basis and possible clues for clinical treatments and drug development. We encourage animal experiments based on clinical efficacy, and especially welcome work in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. We also encourage studies verifying clinical efficacy or pathogenesis directly within a population or group of patients. Such studies will provide more direct first-hand evidence of the pathogenesis of MDD and PMDD. We also welcome proposed new animal models or experimental paradigms, as well as improvements to existing models and paradigms, because such models and paradigms are essential to the development and progress of this field.
Concerning the types of manuscripts, besides theoretical/opinion papers and narrative literature reviews, all types of papers involving animal experiments or clinical trials will be considered for acceptance.
Keywords: Major Depressive Disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Neural Circuits, Neuroendocrine Mechanisms, Translational Medicine, Drug Development
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.
