Advances of Neurobiological Basis and Psychopathological Mechanism for Mood Disorders

Mental, neurological, and substance use problems afflict almost 1 billion people around the world, accounting for 10% of the global disease burden and 25% of the world's disabled population. Mood disorders are becoming more common, notably during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the neurobiological basis and psychopathological mechanisms of mood disorders have not been completely investigated, and diagnostic strategies including the early imaging changes and biomarkers still have a lot of room for improvement. In the domains of cognitive neurology, psychopathology, and clinical psychology, the neurobiological and psychopathological causes underlying mood disorders have traditionally been the focus of interest. For example, chemical neurotransmission in the brain is responsible for regulating all physiological processes, including response to the environment and stress, maintaining consciousness, expressing emotions, and displaying fluctuations in mood. As a result, advances in neurobiological and psychopathological mechanisms in mood disorders will aid in elucidating the etiology of mood disorders and creating a theoretical and practical foundation for the future development of targeted interventions.

The aim of this Research Topic is mainly to investigate recent developments in the neurobiological basis of mood disorders as well as the implications for novel diagnostic strategies including the early imaging changes and biomarkers. We invite research from basic research to clinical and interventional studies on mood disorders from a variety of disciplines, including neural imaging, social medicine, psychiatry, genetics, etc.

We cordially invite all experts and researchers who are interested in this topic to submit original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and brief communications on the following topics of interest, including, but not limited to:
- The psychopathological mechanisms of mood disorders, such as the molecular adaptations of the neuron, blood vessel and blood-brain barrier of psychological stress on mood disorders.
- Identification of novel genetic, cellular and molecular risk factors of mood disorders through reverse or forward genetic strategies.
- Imaging findings, or novel technological methods, such as artificial intelligence (AI), in assisting in understanding the mechanisms and diagnostic biomarkers for mood disorders.
- High-quality reproducible studies for identifying different biomarkers of mood disorders.