Are there Childhood Major Depressive Disorder Genetic Markers and Mutations?

Abstract

Background: There are many challenges in the childhood psychopathology field to carry out epidemiological studies. The child is a being in evolution with behavioral changes, making more difficult to conduct this kind of research. Even nowadays, there are still several diseases being treated as they were all the same, such as disorders, disturbances, and behavioral changes. Moreover, there are still difficulties regarding the parameterized diagnostic criteria, such as the points awarding cut-off scales utilization and the questionnaires application.
Objective: To identify whether are genetic changes that can cause childhood major depressive disorder and if there are genetic markers that can be used to detect these changes.
Results: Studies showed a strong relationship between environmental stress (whether emotional or physical) and the genetic pool that each individual has as specific genes regulating serotonergic and neurotrophic circuits. The pathophysiology and the interaction of these circuits are not well established, but studies confirm their interactions and expression with depression.
Conclusion: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a deeply familiar disorder, with genetic influences not very well established and relevant environmental components.