Beyond the serotonin deficit hypothesis: communicating a neuroplasticity framework of major depressive disorder.
Molecular psychiatry December 1, 2024 Chloe E Page, C Neill Epperson, Andrew M Novick et al. 54 citations
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is better understood not as a serotonin deficit but as inflexibility in cognitive and emotional brain circuits that creates a persistent negativity bias. Effective treatments—including conventional antidepressants, ketamine, psychedelics, psychotherapy, and neuromodulation—work by enhancing neuroplasticity, restoring synaptic, network, and behavioral function to enable adaptive cognitive and emotional processing. The article provides accessible language and metaphors for clinicians and researchers to communicate this updated framework to patients and the public, aiming to improve understanding and trust.