The psychobiology of depression

Our present understanding of the disorder ''depression'' undergoes a changing process. Together with the appearance of empirical studies on epidemiology, genetics and therapy,the hypothesis of ''endogenous'' depression has vanished. The search for ''markers'' has been replaced by a growing interest for functional connections, thereby generating a variety of possible etiological factors instead of the ''depressogenic'' synapse. Therapy has been revolutionized by the invention and the empirical proof of new, short-term psychotherapies. However, the lack of a theoretical basis warrants its development as a major endeavor for future research.