Mood disorders, and mainly depression, belong to the most frequent and life-complicating mental diseases.
The cause of depression and mechanisms of its development have not been completely clarified. There are probably genetic, endocrinal, and also nutritional influences. Patients suffering from depression are characterized by physiological, histological, and morphological changes in their brain.
There are many potent antidepressants. According to clinical studies, however, the therapeutic response is insufficient at 30–50 % patients and moreover, the first therapeutic effects appear not earlier than after several weeks or even months of treatment. Our research into this field thus focuses on searching for chemical compounds with a faster effect as well as on shedding light on the mechanism of their action.
