Higher 5-HT1A autoreceptor binding as an endophenotype for major depressive disorder identified in high risk offspring – A pilot study

Depressive disorders are estimated to be 40% heritable (Uhl  and Grow, 2004), and offspring of individuals with early-onset depression are at higher risk of developing these disorders (Mann et al., 2005). The serotonin (5-HT) system has been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD) (Blier et al., 1990), and offspring of MDD patients report transie nt depression after serotonin depletion by acute tryptophan depletion (Klaassen et al., 1999). An endophenotype of MDD may help to identify persons at elevated risk of developing MDD (HR or high risk) while still healthy (no history of a mood disorder).

Source: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging - April 13, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Matthew S. Milak, Spiro Pantazatos, Rain Rashid, Francesca Zanderigo, Christine DeLorenzo, Natalie Hesselgrave, R. Todd Ogden, Maria A. Oquendo, Stephanie T. Mulhern, Jeffrey M. Miller, Ainsley K. Burke, Ramin V. Parsey, J. John Mann Source Type: research