Eero Castrén, MD, PhD

Recent evidence suggests that reorganization of neuronal connectivity might play an important role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and in both pharmacological and psychological treatments of depression. This evidence suggests a new framework for the etiology of mood disorders that focuses more on the problems in neuronal connectivity, plasticity and information processing in the brain than on abnormalities in chemical neurotransmission. Although this framework is still controversial and far from being complete, improved familiarity with the concepts of neuronal development and activity-dependent plasticity among mental health professionals would be useful.