IMAGING AND NEUROCIRCUITRY OF PEDIATRIC MAJOR DEPRESSION

Object: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and debilitating condition. MDD commonly emerges in childhood and adolescence and is continuous with adult forms of the illness. Method: The authors review existing brain imaging literature on the neurobiology of pediatric depression. Results: Past structural imaging studies noted abnormalities in the frontal lobe, amygdala, hippocampus and pituitary gland in pediatric MDD. Previous studies of neurochemistry found alterations in glutamatergic, choline and creatine concentrations in pediatric MDD. Conclusions: The authors argue for increased efforts towards identifying relevant biomarkers in MDD that may aid in diagnosis of and development of new treatments for the illness.