ReviewThe international journal of neuropsychopharmacology2009
A potential role for pro-inflammatory cytokines in regulating synaptic plasticity in major depressive disorder.
Review in The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04210804 (A Prophylactic Trial of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder), which is not on this map. Cited by 145 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Prophylactic Trial of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder
Who cites it
145 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 345 citations in OpenAlex.
- TNF-α levels in first-episode, drug-naïve patients with major depressive disorder: a case-control study and meta-analysis.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between peripheral inflammatory cytokines and generalised anxiety disorder.BMJ open · 2019Pooled it
- Pathogenetic and Therapeutic Applications of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2016Pooled it
- A systematic review of baseline psychosocial characterisation in dietary randomised controlled trials for weight loss.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2013Pooled it
- Evaluation of inflammatory cytokines in drug-naïve major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of immunopathology and pharmacologyPooled it
- Comparison between the AA/EPA ratio in depressed and non depressed elderly females: omega-3 fatty acid supplementation correlates with improved symptoms but does not change immunological parameters.Nutrition journal · 2012Trial
- Fibroblast Growth Factors and Their Receptors in Major Depressive Disorder: A Scoping Review of Translational Research.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Microglial synaptic pruning in early Alzheimer's disease: emerging roles of the IL-1β-NLRP3 axis.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Review
- An exploratory data-driven stratification of depression based on functional network connectivity and symptom profiles suggests heterogeneous responses to iTBS.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Stress Accelerates Depressive-Like Behaviors through Increase of Notch2 Expression in N141I Mutation Presenilin-2 Transgenic Mice.Biomolecules & therapeutics · 2026Article
- The synaptic triad in depression: how stress-related pathways converge on BDNF, NMDA receptor, and MMP-9.Pharmacological reports : PR · 2026Review
- Psychedelic Therapies for Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Pain: A Review of Putative Mechanisms of Action.Pharmacology research & perspectives · 2026Review
- Neuropeptide SP protects against colitis and linked anxiety-like behavior through the putative roles of gut microbiota and metabolite inositol.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Integrated Multi-Omics Analyses Identify Acupuncture-Associated Changes in Gut Microbiota, Short-Chain Fatty Acids, and TNC Gene Expression in Chronic Migraine Rats.Journal of inflammation research · 2026Article
- Gingerol-Enriched Ginger Extract Effects on Anxiety-like Behavior in a Neuropathic Pain Model via Colonic Microbiome-Neuroimmune Modulation.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Human placental extract, melsmon, suppresses stress-induced neuroinflammation and peripheral inflammation in a mouse model of depression.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Impact of particle size and surface modifications on the neurotoxic potential of copper oxide nanoparticles.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Review
- Peripheral inflammation and neurocognitive functioning in early psychosis: Specific associations of TNF-α and IL-6 with social cognition.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025Article
- Citicoline and Coenzyme Q10: Therapeutic Agents for Glial Activation Reduction in Ocular Hypertension.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
85 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
A growing body of data suggests that hyperactivation of the immune system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Several pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) have been found to be significantly increased in patients with MDD. This review focuses on these two cytokines based on multiple lines of evidence from genetic, animal behaviour, and clinical studies showing that altered levels of serum TNF-alpha and IL-1 are associated with increased risk of depression, cognitive impairments, and reduced responsiveness to treatment. In addition, recent findings have shown that centrally expressed TNF-alpha and IL-1 play a dual role in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. In this paper, we review and critically appraise the mechanisms by which cytokines regulate synaptic and neural plasticity, and their implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of MDD. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of anti-inflammatory-based approaches for treating patients with severe mood disorders. This is a promising field for increasing our understanding of the mechanistic interaction between the immune system, synaptic plasticity, and antidepressants, and for the ultimate development of novel and improved therapeutics for severe mood disorders.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.