Nature Communications · 1 September 2026 · From issue 30
The mPFC-reuniens-hippocampus pathway links brain circuitry and neural plasticity in antidepressant response
In mice, a specific brain circuit controls how fast antidepressant treatments work.
Maxime Veleanu, Louise Schuberth et al.
In mice, turning on one brain region quickly eased depression-like behavior. This region, called the infralimbic cortex, sends signals through a small relay hub in the middle of the brain. That relay hub then talks to the hippocampus, a brain area tied to memory and mood. Blocking any part of this three-step path stopped the antidepressant effect, even for ketamine.
Shows a shared brain circuit is needed for two different antidepressant effects in mice.
Mice only, no human data or sample size given.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 2 September 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source
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