Fifty years on: Serotonin and depression

It has been over 50 years since the original serotonin hypothesis was proposed by the British Psychiatrist Alec Coppen. Recently, some authors have questioned the validity of the hypothesis. In this narrative review, we summarise the evidence for the serotonin hypothesis of depression, focusing on psychopharmacology and molecular imaging, as well as systems-level neuroscience.

Automated summary

This narrative review examines the evidence for the serotonin hypothesis of depression, proposed over 50 years ago by Alec Coppen, a British Psychiatrist. It discusses the validity of the hypothesis, with a focus on psychopharmacology, molecular imaging, and systems-level neuroscience.