Abstract: Childhood and adolescent depression (early-onset depression) has been found to differ from adult depression in terms of clinical features, neurobiological response and efficacy of antidepressants. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the differences were poorly understood. Developmental transformations in brain, especially, discrepancy of the maturation of the adrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems during childhood and adolescence maybe involve in pathophysiology of early-onset depression. The establishment of depression model in childhood and adolescence animals was critical to understand the neural basis of early-onset depression and to develop successful treatment and intervention strategies

Key words: childhood, adolescent, early-onset depression, monoaminergic neurotransmitter