S100B - A common connection between depression and cerebellar disorders

The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that differ in the extent of neuropathological involvement of cerebellum, brainstem, and basal ganglia. Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as depressive and memory symptoms, are common presenting symptoms in SCA patients. A mechanistic connection between different regions of the brain involved in major depression comes from the down regulation of glial function. We hypothesize that the impaired S100B signaling pathway is a common link between SCA and major depression, and that the onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with SCA are due to glial dysfunction in specific areas of the brain. Understanding of S100B dependent pathway will help develop new therapeutic strategies for treating cerebellar disorders and depression.