NEUROBIOLOGY OF DEPRESSION: ADVANCES IN NEURAL CIRCUITS, BIOMARKERS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36557/2009-3578.2025v11n2p7534-7546Palavras-chave:
Depression; Neurobiology; Neural Circuits; Biomarkers; Precision Psychiatry.Resumo
Depression is a complex, multifactorial disorder shaped by biological, psychological, and social determinants. This narrative review synthesizes contemporary evidence on the neurobiology of depression, emphasizing large-scale neural circuits and emerging biomarkers and discussing implications for diagnosis and care. Guided by a PICo strategy, we searched PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and SciELO for articles published between 2015 and 2025 in Portuguese, English, or Spanish. Eligible studies encompassed clinical, observational, experimental, translational, and review designs addressing neural circuitry, neurochemical and endocrine mechanisms, and candidate biomarkers. Findings converge on dysconnectivity across large-scale networks - default mode, salience, and central executive - alongside alterations within limbic–prefrontal circuits (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate, striatum) that underpin affective dysregulation, stress reactivity, rumination, and cognitive control deficits. At the systems level, chronic stress and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dysregulation relate to hippocampal vulnerability, impaired neurogenesis, and symptom persistence. Biomarker research highlights pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α, CRP), reduced neurotrophic signaling (BDNF), and genetic/epigenetic profiles associated with severity and treatment resistance. Multimodal approaches integrating neuroimaging, perfusion metrics, and inflammatory panels show promise for risk stratification and prognosis, aligning with precision psychiatry. However, translation to practice is limited by clinical heterogeneity, methodological variability, and the absence of validated, clinically actionable biomarkers. Overall, integrating neural-circuit findings with biological markers and psychosocial assessment may refine diagnosis, personalize treatment selection (including neuromodulatory strategies), and shorten time-to-response. Future research should prioritize longitudinal, standardized, multimodal cohorts to validate biomarker panels and operationalize precision-guided care in routine mental health settings.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Raquel de Almeida Goto, Rodolfo de Oliveira Medeiros, Cristiano Machado Galhardi, Ana Júlia Toré Gomes, Beatriz Freiria Cabrini, Gabriela Alcantara Barbosa, Guilherme Bicudo Aukar, João Carlos Begosso da Rosa, Júlia Lavoratto, Luiza Alves dos Santos Mendes, Luiza Alves dos Santos Mendes, Lívia Peregrino Rodrigues, Lívia de Oliveira, Najwa Osman, Maria Rielli Ciambelli Netta, Taís Aline Bregion do Santos

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