Abstract
Mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), are the most prevalent and among the most severe and debilitating psychiatric conditions. However, the precise neurobiology underlying these disorders is unknown. Accumulating evidence suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling plays a key role in the pathophysiology of these disorders. This chapter provides an overview of BDNF-TrkB signaling in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and in the mechanistic action of therapeutic agents. The author will propose the use of TrkB agonists and antagonists as novel therapies for mood disorders. It is hoped that the development of biomarkers will aid both in the diagnosis of mood disorders and the generation of appropriate therapeutic drugs. Future perspectives on the use of proBDNF and BDNF as diagnostic biomarkers for mood disorders will also be discussed.
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