The Neuroscience of Depression

Colin R. Martin RN, BSc, MSc, PhD, MBA, YCAP, FHEA, C.Psychol, AFBPsS, C.Sci is Professor of Clinical Psychobiology and Applied Psychoneuroimmunology and Clinical Director of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Suffolk, UK. He is a Chartered Health Psychologist and a Chartered Scientist. He also trained in analytical biochemistry, this aspect reflecting the psychobiological focus of much of his research within mental health. He has published or has in press well over 300 research papers and book chapters. He is a keen book author and editor having written and/or edited more than 50 books. These outputs include the prophetic insight into the treatment of neurological disease, Handbook of Behavior, Food and Nutrition (2011), Nanomedicine and the Nervous System (2012), Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants in Neurological Disease (2020), Zika Virus Impact, Diagnosis, Control and Models (2021), Factors Affecting Neurodevelopment: Genetics, Neurology, Behavior and Diet (2021), Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury (2022), The Neurobiology, Physiology, and Psychology of Pain (2022) and The Handbook of Lifespan Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Childhood, Adolescence, Pregnancy, Adulthood, and Aging (2023). Professor Martin is particularly interested in all aspects of the relationship between underlying physiological substrates and behavior, particularly in how these relationships manifest in both acute and chronic psychiatric disorder. He has published original research germane to significant mental health disorders including the areas of schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, alcohol and drug dependency, high secure forensic mental health and personality disorder. He has a keen interest in the impact of postviral illness and is actively involved in clinical research post-Covid pandemic and in particular, the impact of Long Covid on psychological, neurological, physiological and social functioning. He is involved in collaborative International research with many European and Non-European countries. Dr Lan-Anh Hunter BSc MBBS DFFP DRCOG MRCGP qualified from Guys, King’s & St. Thomas’ Medical School, London in 2001, where she developed an early interest in psychological medicine. She went on to study culture bound syndromes, whilst reading Medical Anthropology Honours degree at University College London, focusing on the cultural aspects of anorexia nervosa in her thesis. She subsequently worked in Australia and explored the psychological aspects of diabetes and its many complications on the aboriginal population. Prior to becoming a GP Principal, she lectured at Charing Cross Hospital teaching doctors in training, continuing this passion, as a GP trainer in her current role. Much has been written about depression in primary care and hence her call to this area. She specialises in psychological medicine, with training in coaching, narrative based medicine, cognitive behaviour therapy and she continues to see, support, treat and manage clinical depression on an everyday basis as a family GP in her Maidenhead practice. Vinood B. Patel, BSc, PhD, FRSC, is currently Professor in Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Westminster. In 2014 Dr Patel was elected as a Fellow to The Royal Society of Chemistry. Dr Patel graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a degree in Pharmacology and completed his PhD in protein metabolism from King’s College London in 1997. His postdoctoral work was carried out at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical School, NC, USA studying structural-functional alterations to mitochondrial ribosomes, where he developed novel techniques to characterize their biophysical properties. Research is being undertaken to study the role of nutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, iron, alcohol and fatty acids in the pathophysiology of liver disease. Other areas of interest are identifying new biomarkers that can be used for the diagnosis and prognosis of disease and understanding mitochondrial oxidative stress in neurological disorders and iron dysregulation in diabetes. Dr Patel is a nationally and internationally recognized researcher and has several edited biomedical books related to the use or investigation of active agents or components. These books include The Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics, Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition, Cancer: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants, Toxicology: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants, Molecular Nutrition: Vitamins, The Neuroscience of Pain, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He is Editor of the ten-volume series Biomarkers in Disease: Methods, Discoveries and Applications. Victor R. Preedy BSc, PhD, DSc, FRSB, FRSPH, FRSC, FRCPath graduated with an Honours Degree in Biology and Physiology with Pharmacology. After gaining his University of London PhD, he received his Membership of the Royal College of Pathologists. He was later awarded his second doctorate (DSc), for his contribution to protein metabolism in health and disease. He is Professor of Clinical Biochemistry (Hon) at King’s College Hospital and Emeritus Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at King’s College London. He has Honorary Professorships at the University of Hull, and the University of Suffolk. Professor Preedy was the Founding Director and then long-term Director of the Genomics Centre at King’s College London from 2006 to 2020. Professor Preedy has been awarded fellowships of the Royal Society of Biology, the Royal College of Pathologists, the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, the Royal Institute of Public Health, the Royal Society for Public Health, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Society of Medicine. He carried out research when attached to the National Heart Hospital (part of Imperial College London), The School of Pharmacy (now part of University College London) and the MRC Centre at Northwick Park Hospital. He has collaborated with international research groups in Finland, Japan, Australia, USA, and Germany. To his credit, Professor Preedy has published over 750 articles, which includes peer-reviewed manuscripts based on original research, abstracts and symposium presentations, reviews and edited books. Dr Rajkumar Rajendram is a clinician scientist with a focus on internal medicine, anaesthesia, intensive care and peri-operative medicine. He graduated with distinctions from Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas Medical School, King’s College London in 2001. As an undergraduate he was awarded several prizes, merits and distinctions in pre-clinical and clinical subjects. Dr Rajendram began his post-graduate medical training in general medicine and intensive care in Oxford. He attained membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) in 2004 and completed specialist training in acute and general medicine in Oxford in 2010. Dr Rajendram subsequently practiced as a Consultant in Acute General Medicine at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Dr Rajendram also trained in anaesthesia and intensive care in London and was awarded a fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA) in 2009. He completed advanced training in regional anaesthesia and intensive care. He was awarded a fellowship of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FFICM) in 2013 and obtained the European diploma of intensive care medicine (EDIC) in 2014. He then moved to the Royal Free London Hospitals as a Consultant in Intensive Care, Anaesthesia and Peri-operative Medicine. He has been a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (FRCP Edin) and the Royal College of Physicians of London (FRCP Lond) since 2017 and 2019 respectively. He is currently a Consultant in Internal Medicine at King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Heath Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dr Rajendram’s focus on improving outcomes from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has involved research on point of care ultrasound and phenotypes of COVID-19. Dr Rajendram also recognises that nutritional support is a fundamental aspect of medical care. This is particularly important for patients with COVID-19. As a clinician scientist he has therefore devoted significant time and effort into nutritional science research and education. He is an affiliated member of the Nutritional Sciences Research Division of King’s College London and has published over 400 textbook chapters, review articles, peer-reviewed papers and abstracts.

I. Genetic Aspects of Depression 1. Epigenetics in depression2. Genes, depression and nuclear DNA 3. Molecular aspects of postpartum depression 4. Genetics and epigenetics of the SLC6A4 gene in depression5. Tryptophan related genes and depression 6. Metalloproteinases genes and depression7. Linking gene regions jointly with environment and depression

II. Molecular and Cellular Effects of Depression 8. Linking depression, mRNA translation and serotonin 9. Changes in cortical gene expression in major depression: More evidence implicating inflammatory-related pathways in disease aetiology10. FKBP5 gene expression and depression11. Cytokines related to depression 12. Linking Interleukin-6 and Depression 13. The role of inflammatory signaling in comorbid depression and epilepsy14. Brain inflammasomes in depression 15. Inflammatory factors and depression in substance use disorder Francisco 16. Linking Huntington disease, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and depressive-like behaviors17. Depression and the NMDA receptor/NO/cGMP pathway18. Translocator protein (18 kDa TSPO) binding in depression 19. Axonal transport proteins: what they are and how they relate to depressive behaviours 20. Molecular features of adenylyl cyclase isoforms and cAMP signaling: a link between adenylyl cyclase 7 and depression 21. Neurobiology of depression: the role of glycogen synthase kinase 322. Sortilin/NTSR3 in depression23. Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and antidepressant role24. The prefrontal cortex in depression: use of proteomics

III. Neurological and Imaging Features25. SPECT Neuroimaging and depression26. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bipolar depression and unipolar depression 27. Linking amygdala blood oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) activity and frontal EEG in depression28. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus: features and links with alcohol and depression29. Serotonergic neurons, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) resistance and major depressive disorder30. Role of nesfatin-1 in major depression31. Impact of NGF signaling in neuroplasticity during depression: Insights in neuroplasticity dependent therapeutic approaches32. Depression and germ cells memory

IV. Behaviour and Psychopathological Effects33. Cognitive function and neurocognitive deficits in depression34. Cognitive and interpersonal contributors to relationship distress and depression35. Adolescence life stage and cognitive vulnerability to depression36. Determining the cognitive performance in first episode of depression 37. Body image and depression38. Sleep, anxiety and depression39. Depression, anxiety and quality of life40. Reward Processing and Depression: Current Findings and Future Directions41. Sexual functioning in depressive disorders

V. Diet, Nutrition and Botanicals 42. Linking dietary glycemic index and depression43. Gut microbiota and Depression44. Linking dietary methyl donors, maternal separation and depression45. Convolvulus pluricaulis usage and depression 46. Antidepressant effects of Crocus sativus (saffron) and its constituents 47. Mechanisms of action of herbal antidepressants48. Depression, antidepressant-like effects and mechanisms of the herbal formula xiaochaihutang

VI. Resources49. Resources in depression