There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that stress decreases the expression of
brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in limbic structures that control mood and that
antidepressant treatment reverses or blocks the effects of stress. Decreased levels of BDNF,
as well as other neruotrophic factors, could contribute to the atrophy of certain limbic
structures, including the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex that has been observed in
depressed subjects. Conversely, the neurotrophic actions of antidepressants could reverse …