TY - JOUR AB - In modern society, depression is one of the most common mental illness; however, its pathophysiology is not yet fully understood. A great body of evidence suggests that depression causes changes in neuroplasticity in specific regions of the brain which are correlated to symptom severity, negative emotional rumination as well as fear learning. Depression is correlated with atrophy of neurons in the cortical and limbic brain regions that control mood and emotion. Antidepressant therapy can exhibit effects on neuroplasticity and reverse the neuroanatomical changes found in depressed patients. The investigation of fast‑acting agents that reverse behavioral and neuronal deficiencies of chronic depression, especially the glutamate receptor antagonist NMDA ketamine, and the cellular mechanisms underlying the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine and related agents are of real interest in current research. Actual medication such as serotonin (5‑HT) selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, require weeks to months of administration before a clear therapeutic response. The current review aimed to underline the negative effects of depression on neuroplasticity and present the current findings on the effects of antidepressant medication. AD - Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania Department of Psychiatry, ‘Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia’ Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania Department of Clinical Neurosciences, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania Department of Morphological Sciences, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania AU - Rădulescu,Ioana AU - Drăgoi,Ana,Miruna AU - Trifu,Simona,Corina AU - Cristea,Mihai,Bogdan DA - 2021/10/01 DO - 10.3892/etm.2021.10565 IS - 4 JO - Exp Ther Med KW - depression psychopharmacology neuroplasticity prefrontal cortex cortisol PY - 2021 SN - 1792-0981 1792-1015 SP - 1131 ST - Neuroplasticity and depression: Rewiring the brain's networks through pharmacological therapy (Review) T2 - Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine TI - Neuroplasticity and depression: Rewiring the brain's networks through pharmacological therapy (Review) UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.10565 VL - 22 ER -