Glutamate-Mediated Neuroplasticity Deficits in Mood Disorders

The resiliency of an organism depends upon its ability to adapt to stressful events or circumstances. The cognitive and behavioral components of resiliency require neuronal adaptations involving a number of brain regions and neurotransmitter systems. Neuroplasticity is a broad term referring to a collection of events critical for neuronal adaptation, including those that occur at the molecular, cellular and systemic levels. While a number of different signaling molecules contribute to neuroplasticity-related changes in neural function, most forms of neuroplasticity require the involvement of glutamate, the primary fast-acting excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. Substantial evidence suggests an important role for glutamate in long-term potentiation (LTP), regulation of spine density, and synaptic reorganization, events thought to impact an organism’s overall behavior and adaptive potential. Indeed, it has been suggested that altered or impaired neuroplasticity may contribute to a variety of pathological states associated with dysregulation of mood [1]. Thus, the goal of this chapter is to focus on glutamate’s role in neuroplasticity in brain structures associated with regulation of mood and emotional behaviors, with particular emphasis on psychiatric illnesses such as major depressive disorder.KeywordsMood DisorderNeuronal AdaptationQBUJFOUT XJUIBTTPDJBUFE XJUIUSFBUNFOU XJUIThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.