Brain Plasticity: The Effects of Antidepressants on Major Depression
Tuesday, January 8, 2019, 2:00 pm EST
Depression changes the brain. Imaging studies have reported thinning of the cortex, while structures such as the hippocampus show a loss of gray matter possibly associated with the loss of neurons and fewer neuronal connections. In mice, stress shrinks the hippocampus due to neuronal loss and smaller neurons and antidepressants increase the hippocampus back to pre-stress or to normal size and numbers of neurons increase. Dr. Mann's lab finds similar effects in comparing treated and untreated depression and seeks new targets for antidepressants. We need to better understand how antidepressants including SSRIs, lithium, and ketamine exert their therapeutic effects, so we can find newer more effective and rapidly acting treatments for depression.
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Paul Janssen Professor of Translational Neuroscience in Psychiatry and in Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center
Director of Research and Director of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute
Columbia University Medical Center
Scientific Council Member (Joined 2003)
2022 Colvin Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Mood Disorders Research
2008 Distinguished Investigator Grant
Dr. Mann’s research employs functional brain imaging, neurochemistry and molecular genetics to probe the causes of depression and suicide. He directs the NIMH Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders at Columbia University, conducting studies of risk factors for suicidal behavior in mood disorders, schizophrenia and personality disorders, focusing on the neurobiological basis of suicidal behavior. This work has defined a more comprehensive model that is now being tested in one of the largest prospective studies of suicidal patients ever mounted. He has been a pioneer in the study of the brain abnormalities that predispose patients to suicide and the brain abnormalities associated with recurrent major depression and bipolar disorder.
Dr. Mann is past President of the International Academy of Suicide Research. Prior to joining Columbia, he held faculty positions at Cornell University Medical College and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein served as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association from 2012 - 2023.
Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.
