Genetic, neurobiological and environmental factors play a role in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. This brief review points to the major studies on the genetics, neurochemistry and neuroanatomy of depressive disorders as well as their implications on the development of new treatments. The limitations found by several groups in establishing a common etiopathogenesis are emphasised in light of the difficulty in establishing a reliable diagnosis and of the clinical heterogeneity found in the phenomenology of acute episodes and long-term outcome. Future research perspectives are also presented.
Depressive disorders; depression; etiology; pathophysiology; genetics; brain imaging; treatment