Inflamed Depression: How Inflammation Drives Depression and Anti-Inflammatory Treatments
Is depression an inflammatory disease?
Yes. Inflammation plays a key role in depression pathophysiology, especially for approximately one-third of patients who don’t respond to traditional antidepressants, with inflammatory processes contributing to altered neurotransmitter metabolism, disrupted neuroplasticity, and treatment resistance. A comprehensive 2024 review published in Pharmacological Research reveals that inflammation is not just a consequence of depression but actively drives depressive symptoms through multiple neurobiological pathways, offering new treatment approaches beyond conventional monoamine-targeting antidepressants.