Neurosteroids and Neurotrophic Factors: What Is Their Promise as Biomarkers for Major Depression and PTSD?

ABSTRACT: Even though major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are among the most prevalent and incapacitating mental illnesses in the world, their diagnosis still relies solely on the characterization of subjective symptoms (many of which are shared by multiple disorders) self-reported by patients. Thus, the need for objective measures that aid in the detection of and differentiation between psychiatric disorders becomes urgent. In this paper, we explore the potential of neurosteroids and neurotrophic proteins as biomarkers for MDD and PTSD. Circulating levels of the GABAergic neuroactive steroid, allopregnanolone, are diminished in MDD and PTSD patients, which corroborates the finding of depleted neurosteroid levels observed in animal models of these disorders. The

SUBMITTER: Almeida FB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7916492 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature