Citation

Bowrey HE, James MH, Aston-Jones G. Depress. Anxiety 2017; 34(7): 588-595.

Affiliation

Brain Health Institute, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/da.22635

PMID

28489327

Abstract

Both preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate that depression is strongly associated with reduced light availability, which in turn contributes to decreased function of brain regions that control mood. Here, we review findings that support a critical pathway for the control of mood that depends upon ambient light. We put forward a novel hypothesis, functionally linking retina to locus coeruleus (LC) in depression, and discuss the role of norepinephrine in affective disease. Finally, we discuss how utilizing the chemogenetic tool Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) to precisely control this retina-LC circuit may be used as a novel therapeutic to treat depression.

© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

antidepressants; anxiety/anxiety disorders; depression; mood disorders; pharmacotherapy; seasonal affective disorder; sleep disorders; stress; treatment