Depression is a common, chronic, and debilitating syndrome, which involves dysregulation throughout the brain’s limbic circuitry. This presentation focuses on stable changes in gene expression within the circuitry that controls life-long vulnerability to different forms of stress and the induction of depression-related behavioral abnormalities in mouse models. This presentation also outlines the established transcriptional and chromatin regulation as important mechanisms underlying the ways in which a history of stress causes lasting changes in targeted limbic brain regions which result in depression-related behavioral abnormalities in vulnerable individuals. The long-term goal is to use these insights to develop improved diagnostic tests and treatments for depression and related syndromes.

Format

Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity.

This presentation was recorded on April 20, 2021 at the 15th Annual Amygdala, Stress, and PTSD Conference: Stress and the Mind.

Course References

• Bagot, R. et al. (2016). Circuit-wide Transcriptional Profiling Reveals Brain Region-Specific Gene Networks Regulating Depression Susceptibility. Neuron, 90(5), 969-83.
• Labonte, B. et al. (2017). Sex-specific transcriptional signatures in human depression. Nat Med, 23(9), 1102-1111.
• Lorsch, ZS. et al. (2019). Stress resilience is promoted by a Zfp189-driven transcriptional network in prefrontal cortex. Nat Neurosci, 22(9), 1413-1423.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the neurobiology of stress in humans
• Describe animal models of stress
• Describe the molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced behavioral abnormalities in animal models

Target Audience

Psychiatrists

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 45 minutes
Begin Date: June 30, 2021
End Date: June 30, 2024

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

All financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this activity have been mitigated.

Program Presenters

• Eric Nestler, MD, Director Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Program Planners

• Derrick A. Hamaoka, MD, Assistant Chair, Medical Education, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Department of Psychiatry. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• David Mears, PhD, Basic Science Co-Director, Neuroscience Module and Interim Chair, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Alvi A. Azad, DO, MBA, Assistant Professor, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Gary H. Wynn, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Assistant Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, and Senior Scientist, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Kwang Choi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Kelly L. Cozza, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Eric Meyer, MD, Associate Clerkship Director, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• James A. Naifeh, PhD, Research Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and Research Psychologist, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Holly H. Mash, PhD, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Amy E. Steward, MSgt, USAF, Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Julia Petrini, ScB, Research Assistant, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Brett Thomas, MD, PGY-2 Psychiatry, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

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Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

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For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance