title: Joining the dots: neurobiological links in a functional analysis of depression.
abstract: Depression is one of the major contributors to the Total Disease Burden and afflicts about one-sixth of Western populations. One of the most effective treatments for depression focuses upon analysis of causal chains in overt behaviour, but does not include brain-related phenomena as steps along these causal pathways. Recent research findings regarding the neurobiological concomitants of depressive behaviour suggest a sequence of structural and functional alterations to the brain which may also produce a beneficial outcome for the depressed individual--that of adaptive withdrawal from uncontrollable aversive stressors. Linking these brain-based explanations to models of observable contingencies for depressive behaviour can provide a comprehensive explanation of how depressive behaviour occurs and why it persists in many patients.
authors.affiliation: Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, New South Wales, Australia. csharpley@onthenet.com.au
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Sharpley
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bitsika
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012919:Social Behavior