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A Comprehensive Overview of the Role of Visual Cortex Malfunction in Depressive Disorders: Opportunities and Challenges

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Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly heterogeneous mental disorder, and its complex etiology and unclear mechanism are great obstacles to the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Studies have shown that abnormal functions of the visual cortex have been reported in MDD patients, and the actions of several antidepressants coincide with improvements in the structure and synaptic functions of the visual cortex. In this review, we critically evaluate current evidence showing the involvement of the malfunctioning visual cortex in the pathophysiology and therapeutic process of depression. In addition, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of visual cortex dysfunction that may underlie the pathogenesis of MDD. Although the precise roles of visual cortex abnormalities in MDD remain uncertain, this undervalued brain region may become a novel area for the treatment of depressed patients.

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Acknowledgements

This review was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Key Foundation of China (81830040 and 82130042), the China Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Project (2022ZD0211701 and 2021ZD0200700), the Science and Technology Program of Guangdong (2018B030334001), and the Science and Technology Program of Shenzhen (GJHZ20210705141400002, KCXFZ20211020164543006, JCYJ20220818101615033, and 202206063000055).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Fangfang Wu and Qingbo Lu contributed equally to this review.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Fangfang Wu

  2. Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Qingbo Lu & Zhijun Zhang

  3. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Yan Kong

  4. Department of Mental Health and Public Health, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Zhijun Zhang

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  1. Fangfang Wu
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  2. Qingbo Lu
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  3. Yan Kong
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  4. Zhijun Zhang
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Correspondence to Zhijun Zhang.

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Wu, F., Lu, Q., Kong, Y. et al. A Comprehensive Overview of the Role of Visual Cortex Malfunction in Depressive Disorders: Opportunities and Challenges. Neurosci. Bull. 39, 1426–1438 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-023-01052-7

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