Neurogenesis and depression: etiology or epiphenomenon?
Abstract
The concept that decreased neurogenesis might be the cause of depression is supported by the effects of stress on neurogenesis and the demonstration that neurogenesis seems to be necessary for antidepressant action. Data from the animal models tested to date show that decreasing the rate of neurogenesis does not lead to depressive behavior. Furthermore, evidence shows that an effective treatment for depression, transcranial magnetic stimulation, does not alter rates of neurogenesis. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that neurogenesis might play a subtle role in depression but that it is not the primary factor in the final common pathway leading to depression.
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Not all antidepressant actions require neurogenesis and depletion of neurogenesis in itself is not directly causing anxiety/depression-like behavior.
“There is however evidence that not all the antidepressant actions require neurogenesis and that the depletion of neurogenesis in itself is not directly causing anxiety/depression-like behavior (David et al., 2009;Henn and Vollmayr, 2004), a fact that may be partially reconciled by the existence of extra-neurogenic actions of antidepressants exerted on neural plasticity (see below Section 6”
From Depression and adult neurogenesis: Positive effects of the antidepressant fluoxetine and of physical exercise (2018) · cites this paper as Henn and Vollmayr, 2004
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- Authors
- Henn, F. A., & Vollmayr, B.
- Affiliations
- Central Institute of Mental Health (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Henn, Fritz A
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-08
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 146-150
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2051519442
- Cited by
- 192
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 1.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Institutional Repository (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- neurogenesis, depression, stress, antidepressant action, animal models of depression, transcranial magnetic stimulation, etiology of depression, hippocampus
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Brain, Cell Division, Depression, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Neurons, Stress, Physiological, Time Factors
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