Depression Across the Species

Backgrounds: this article has two close related goals. First it reviews the current literature on animal models of depression, using data mining techniques. Second it discusses whether it is feasible or not to extend the concept of depression to non-humans. Results: the use of animal models of depression increased dramatically over the last years, in association with the development of new drugs and genetic studies. On the other hand, the possibility to assume a strong correlation between human depression and low mood in other mammals remains unfeasible. Human depression represents a 'reaching-point', both at the organic and the phenomenological levels; nosographically, it can be asserted only within the horizon of possibilities represented by alternative disorders with which it shares common features.