Abstract
A recent “umbrella” review examined various biomarkers relating to the serotonin system,
and concluded there was no consistent evidence implicating serotonin in the
pathophysiology of depression. We present reasons for why this conclusion is overstated,
including methodological weaknesses in the review process, selective reporting of data,
over-simplification, and errors in the interpretation of neuropsychopharmacological
findings. We use the examples of tryptophan depletion and serotonergic molecular imaging,
the two research areas most relevant to the investigation of serotonin, to illustrate this.
and concluded there was no consistent evidence implicating serotonin in the
pathophysiology of depression. We present reasons for why this conclusion is overstated,
including methodological weaknesses in the review process, selective reporting of data,
over-simplification, and errors in the interpretation of neuropsychopharmacological
findings. We use the examples of tryptophan depletion and serotonergic molecular imaging,
the two research areas most relevant to the investigation of serotonin, to illustrate this.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Molecular Psychiatry |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - 21 Apr 2023 |