The 34th Live Lecture of JCBP: Estrogen Regulation and the Risk of Depression in Females: Neurological Mechanisms and Clinical Research Progress Throughout the Lifespan

The Journal of Clinical and Basic Psychosomatics will hold this live lecture titled "Estrogen Regulation and the Risk of Depression in Females: Neurological Mechanisms and Clinical Research Progress Throughout the Lifespan" on Tencent Meeting platform at 20:00 on December 22, 2025 (GMT+08:00).

Women have a significantly higher risk of depression than men, and their unique disease trajectory is closely related to fluctuations in estrogen levels throughout their life cycle. Estrogen is not only a reproductive hormone but also a key neuroactive substance that extensively regulates neural circuits involved in emotional cognition. By acting on estrogen receptors in brain regions such as the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, estrogen modulates neurotransmitter systems (such as serotonin and dopamine), promotes the expression of neurotrophic factors, enhances synaptic plasticity, and exerts neuroprotective effects. The imbalance of this precise regulatory network constitutes the neurobiological basis for the special vulnerability of women.

Clinical studies have clearly outlined the trajectory of depression risk evolving throughout the life cycle: puberty onset, the postpartum period, and perimenopause—stages marked by dramatic or declining changes in estrogen levels—are all high-risk windows for the onset of depression. This reveals that estrogen withdrawal or fluctuations, rather than absolute low levels, are key triggers for mood disorders. Based on this mechanism, hormone intervention strategies targeting specific stages (such as the perinatal and perimenopausal periods), as well as the development of targeted therapies based on neuroendocrine mechanisms, have become cutting-edge areas of exploration. In the future, integrating a neuroendocrine perspective with whole-life cycle management will be crucial for achieving precise prevention and treatment of female depression and for practicing the concepts of "cardio-psychological" and even "holistic physical and mental" health.

We are honored to have invited Dr. Zhifen Liu, Chief Physician, Doctoral Supervisor, and Postdoctoral Mentor from the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, as the keynote speaker for this conference. Additionally, Dr. Qunsong Wang, Chief Physician, Head of the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Department, and Academic Leader at the Wuxi Mental Health Center, will serve as the host. We sincerely welcome scholars from all fields to actively participate in this academic live lecture.