Understanding Depression: A Translational Approach

Depression is a major cause of morbidity throughout the world. Given that between 8 and 12% of the population (in most countries) will suffer from depression at some point in their lives, it is clearly a significant public health problem. As our knowledge of this illness has expanded in recent years, it has become clear that depression can no longer be viewed as a simple disorder of the brain. It has to be seen as a series of behavioural and biological changes that span mind, brain, genes, and body - affecting both psychological and physical health.

This book brings together world leaders in research on depression to discuss for the first time, in an interdisciplinary setting, both classical and innovate ideas to understand this devastating disorder. It presents neurobiological, psychological, genetic, and evolunationary models, with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms linking the brain to the endocrine and immune systems, and therefor linking depression to physical health.

Opening with a powerful, personal account of depression that conveys something of all-consuming, debilitating nature of this illness, the book then presents cutting-edge research from those at the frontiers of work in this area. Understanding Depression will be valuable for all those in the brain sciences seeking a state-of-the-art review of this global problem.

Depression is a major cause of morbidity throughout the world. Given that between 8 and 12% of the population (in most countries) will suffer from depression at some point in their lives, it is clearly a significant public health problem. As our knowledge of this illness has expanded in recent years, it has become clear that depression can no longer be viewed as a simple disorder of the brain. It has to be seen as a series of behavioural and biological changes that span mind, brain, genes, and body—indeed, affecting both psychological and physical health.

This book brings together world leaders in research on depression to discuss, for the first time, in an interdisciplinary setting, both classical and innovative ideas to understand this devastating disorder. It presents neurobiological, psyschological, genetic, and evolutionary models with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms linking the brain to the endocrine and the immune systems, and therefore, linking depression to physical health.

Opening with a powerful, personal account of depression that conveys something of the all-consuming, debilitating nature of this illness, the book then presents cutting-edge research from those at the frontier of work in this area. The book is valuable for all those in the brain sciences seeking a state-of-the-art review of this global problem.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Bezalel Dantz, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:The product of a conference held in London in 2007 where an international panel of experts convened to explore the biological basis of depression, this book provides a multidisciplinary approach to the topic. The conference drew speakers from the fields of psychiatry, neuroscience, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, cell biology, endocrinology, and pharmacology.
Purpose:The ambitious goal was to bring together disparate fields of research into a single book devoted to the biological basis of depression. In this densely packed compendium of 385 pages, the authors have effectively conveyed the state-of-the-art as it exists today.
Audience:Though not explicitly stated, the intended audience appears to be fellow academics. However, sophisticated clinicians who are interested in a multifaceted perspective on depression may find this a valuable resource. The authors of each chapter offer a highly detailed, authoritative review of their respective fields.
Features:Topics include the evolutionary basis of mood disorders, genetic factors, hormonal features, neurobiology, depression as an inflammatory state, the intersection between psychiatric and medical illness, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, pharmacology, and other biological treatments for depression. The editors attempt, though not successfully, to tie these threads together into a clinically useful form. Although the authors do an acceptable job of summarizing the disparate findings in their fields, the end result is a dry reconstruction of contradictory research, luring readers with the promise of clarity, only to find out that we really don't know much about the biology of depression.
Assessment:This book was a difficult undertaking, and unique in its scope. I applaud the editors' ambitions, and for those interested in delving into the details, this work is a wonderful resource. For clinicians, however, the book can be frustrating. This effort is probably most appreciated by the participants and attendees of the London conference, who can now pace themselves through each chapter and digest what must have seemed (and is) an overwhelming amount of information.