The Open Psychiatry Journal

2009, 3 : 33-38
Published online 2009 June 18. DOI: 10.2174/1874354400903010033
Publisher ID: TOPJ-3-33

Depression Across the Species

Álvaro Machado Dias , Ana Karina Santos , Margareth Yuri Takeuchi and Cristina Harumi Adania
University of São Paulo, Psychology Institute, Dept. of Neuroscience and Behavior (IP-NEC-USP). Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 1721 Caixa Postal 66261 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.

ABSTRACT

Backgrounds: this article has two close related goals. First it reviews the current literature on animal models of depression, using data mining techniques. Second it discusses whether it is feasible or not to extend the concept of depression to non-humans. Results: the use of animal models of depression increased dramatically over the last years, in association with the development of new drugs and genetic studies. On the other hand, the possibility to assume a strong correlation between human depression and low mood in other mammals remains unfeasible. Human depression represents a ‘reaching-point’, both at the organic and the phenomenological levels; nosographically, it can be asserted only within the horizon of possibilities represented by alternative disorders with which it shares common features.

Keywords:

Depression, etiology, evolution.