Serotonin is Back
A review by Moncrieff et al in Molecular Psychiatry 2022 concluded that : “there is no convincing evidence that depression is associated with, or caused by, lower serotonin concentrations or activity.” This was widely reported in the news media.
A new analysis by 26 experts in the field finds many faults with this analysis (Jauhar et al 2023). Instead, they conclude “A more accurate, constructive conclusion would be that acute tryptophan depletion and decreased plasma tryptophan in depression indicate a role for 5-HT in those vulnerable to or suffering from depression, and that molecular imaging suggests the system is perturbed. The proven efficacy of SSRIs in a proportion of people with depression lends credibility to this position.” Long live serotonin’s role in depression.
