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Development of Diagnosis and Treatment Techniques for Patients with Sever Intractable Depression and Insensitivity to Antidepressant Treatment Based on Molecular and Cellular Researches on BDNF and Depression

Research Project Outline

The fi nding that chronic antidepressant (AD)-treatment in-creases the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in brain raised a possibility that BDNF is a key molecule im-plicated in pathology of depression and biological response to AD treatment. Nevertheless, molecular and cellular mech-anisms that link BDNF action with severe and antidepressant-resistant depression remain ill-defi ned. In this project, we have assumed that defi cits in secretion and processing of BDNF are crucial causes of intractable depression and resistance to AD exposure. Based on this hypothesis, we will attempt the development of new diagnosis and treatment techniques for patients with sever intractable depression and insensitivity to AD treatment by clarifying molecular pathogenesis of depres-sion, searching for blood biomarkers, and by using diagnostic functional and structural imaging of brain.

Research Director
MasamiKojima
Affiliation
Leader, National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (AIST)
Research Started
2008
Status
ongoing
Research Area
Creation of a Novel Technology towards Diagnosis and Treatment based on Understanding of Molecular Pathogenesis of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
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