Volume 36, Issue 1, 2020
Rapid antidepressant therapy has been shown to be related to the circadian rhythm, but the specific molecular pathways have not been clarified. Accumulating evidence shows that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is involved in the mechanism of action of antidepressants, and can simultaneously modulate the circadian system. Wang et al. propose that the MAPK pathway is a common route through which various rapid antidepressants regulate circadian genes. In the cover image, the rat in the depressive-like state (left) has a disturbed circadian rhythm. In contrast, when the circadian rhythm is normalized via the MAPK pathway (right), the rat rapidly returns to a relatively normal mood state. See pages 66–76 . (Cover image provided by Xin-Ling Wang).