Article
Neurosciences
Najah L. Walton, Pantelis Antonoudiou, Lea Barros, Tauryn Dargan, Alyssa DiLeo, Aidan Evans-Strong, Jenah Gabby, Samantha Howard, Rumzah Paracha, Edgardo J. Sanchez, Grant L. Weiss, Dong Kong, Jamie L. Maguire
Summary: Chronic stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric illnesses, including depression. Allopregnanolone, an important neurosteroid, is found to be reduced under chronic stress, leading to behavioral deficits. Targeting allopregnanolone may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for mood disorders.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Gaurav Ranjan, Priyashree Sunita, Pritha Bose, Sugato Banerjee, Shakti Pattanayak
Summary: This study found that Tinospora cordifolia extract can modulate TSPO to alleviate PTSD symptoms, suggesting its potential as a novel therapeutic option for PTSD treatment.
PHARMACOGNOSY MAGAZINE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Najah L. Walton, Pantelis Antonoudiou, Jamie L. Maguire
Summary: Affective disorders like depression and anxiety are prevalent worldwide and are leading causes of disability. The recent FDA approval of the antidepressant ZULRESSO & REG; (Brexanolone), a synthetic neurosteroid, has sparked interest in the role of neurosteroids in depression and their antidepressant effects. While most studies have focused on the impact of exogenous neurosteroids on affective states, endogenous neurosteroids synthesized from cholesterol or steroid hormones also play a role. This review aims to summarize current literature on the influence of neurosteroids on affective states and explore the role of endogenous neurosteroids in setting baseline affective tone.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felipe Borges Almeida, Helena Maria Tannhauser Barros, Graziano Pinna
Summary: This paper explores the potential of neurosteroids and neurotrophic proteins as biomarkers for MDD and PTSD. Findings show that allopregnanolone levels are diminished in MDD and PTSD patients, while BDNF is reduced in these patients and depressed-like animals with lower neurosteroid levels. The proposed causal link between allopregnanolone levels and BDNF expression could serve as a biomarker axis for the diagnosis of both MDD and PTSD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ting Cao, MiMi Tang, Pei Jiang, BiKui Zhang, XiangXin Wu, Qian Chen, CuiRong Zeng, NaNa Li, ShuangYang Zhang, HuaLin Cai
Summary: The study showed that PROG and ALLO could reverse cognitive deficits induced by ketamine through the PGRMC1 pathway in rat brains. This suggests that they have neuroprotective effects and can restore impaired spatial learning and memory abilities.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara K. S. Bengtsson, Jessica Sjostedt, Evgenya Malinina, Roshni Das, Magnus Doverskog, Maja Johansson, David Haage, Torbjorn Backstrom
Summary: Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, it was found that GR3027 has inhibitory effects on GABAA receptors, indicating its potential therapeutic value.
Review
Immunology
Pamela Rosa-Goncalves, Flavia Lima Ribeiro-Gomes, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
Summary: Malaria, caused by the protozoa Plasmodium, is a significant public health issue in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease can present with a range of symptoms, with cerebral malaria being the most severe and lethal complication. Survivors of cerebral malaria may experience neurological, cognitive, and behavioral sequelae. Recent studies suggest immunomodulation as a potential approach to prevent or reverse these neurocognitive sequelae of malaria.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Margaret M. McCarthy
Summary: Placental allopregnanolone deficiency affects cerebellar development in mice, leading to impaired social and communication skills in male offspring but not in female offspring. Replacing allopregnanolone can restore normal myelination and behavior.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Varoth Lilascharoen, Eric Hou-Jen Wang, Nam Do, Stefan Carl Pate, Amanda Ngoc Tran, Christopher Dabin Yoon, Jun-Hyeok Choi, Xiao-Yun Wang, Horia Pribiag, Young-Gyun Park, Kwanghun Chung, Byung Kook Lim
Summary: The study investigates the functional roles of distinct GPe-PV neuronal populations in controlling behaviors such as locomotion and reversal learning, and reveals their different contributions to various PD-related behaviors.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Manman Ji, Zhengrong Zhang, Feng Gao, Shaojie Yang, Juan Wang, Xuncui Wang, Guoqi Zhu
Summary: This study found that CUR can prevent behavioral changes and synaptic deficits induced by PTSD through activating the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway.
PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ani Gasparyan, Francisco Navarrete, Jorge Manzanares
Summary: The study demonstrated the significant therapeutic effects of combined treatment with CBD and STR on fear-related memory and anxiety-like behaviors in an animal model of PTSD, indicating the normalization of gene expression alterations in this model.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Antoine D. Madar, Jesse A. Pfammatter, Jessica Bordenave, Erin I. Plumley, Swetha Ravi, Michael Cowie, Eli P. Wallace, Bruce P. Hermann, Rama K. Maganti, Mathew V. Jones
Summary: Temporal lobe epilepsy affects the function of the dentate gyrus, leading to impaired memory discrimination, which may be related to the abnormal bursting of a subset of granule cells.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
John R. Keefe, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Xi Zhu, Amit Lazarov, Ariel Durosky, Sara Such, Caroline Marohasy, Shmuel Lissek, Yuval Neria
Summary: Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) only show deficits in discrimination when presented with aversive stimuli. This dysregulated discrimination pattern may be related to a lack of input from regulatory brain areas (e.g., DMN/hippocampus) to threat-related brain areas (e.g., SN/amygdala).
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Wei Wang, Qing Cao, Tao Tan, Fengwei Yang, Jamal B. Williams, Zhen Yan
Summary: Research suggests that targeting EHMT2 can reverse the repressive H3K9me2 histone mark in the brain of P301S Tau mice, improving spatial and recognition memory deficits. In addition, EHMT inhibition can normalize neuronal excitability and glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the PFC of P301S Tau mice. UNC0642 treatment has been shown to regulate dysregulated genes and may be used to treat cognitive and synaptic deficits in neurodegenerative diseases associated with tauopathies.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Natalia Malikowska-Racia, Kinga Salat, Joanna Gdula-Argasinska, Piotr Popik
Summary: The study found that women are twice as likely to develop PTSD as men, and the role of sex hormones in this disorder remains unclear. Chronic treatment with GABA-ergic and dopamine-mimetic medications showed potential in improving PTSD-like symptoms, with a sex-dependent efficacy observed in female and male mice.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Song Xue, Feng Kong, Yiying Song, Jia Liu
Summary: This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the relationship between individual's spontaneous neural activity and social interaction anxiety in a nonclinical population. The results showed that social interaction anxiety was correlated with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in several brain regions, and that emotional intelligence partially mediated this relationship. This study provides evidence for the neural basis of social interaction anxiety in the normal population and highlights the role of emotional intelligence in this anxiety.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Katsuyuki Yamaguchi, Takuya Yazawa
Summary: This study provides morphometric data on the development of the human medullary arcuate nucleus (AN) by examining the brains of preterm and perinatal infants. The results show that AN morphology demonstrates asymmetry and individual variability during the fetal period. The volume and neuronal number of AN increase exponentially with age, while neuronal density decreases exponentially. The AN may undergo neuron death and neuroblasts production after mid-gestation.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Zhan Zhou, Weixin Dai, Tianxiao Liu, Min Shi, Yi Wei, Lifei Chen, Yubo Xie
Summary: Studies have shown that propofol-induced neurotoxicity is caused by disruption of mitochondrial fission and fusion, leading to an energy supply imbalance for developing neurons. Healthy mitochondria released by astrocytes can migrate to compromised neurons to mitigate propofol-induced neurotoxicity, but the exact mechanisms involved still need further clarification.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
An Chen, Song Hao, Yongpeng Han, Yang Fang, Yibei Miao
Summary: This study explores the efficacy of two forms of BCI attention training games and finds that physical games may be more effective than video games. The research also offers valuable insights for future game design from a neuroscience perspective.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Lina Liu, Luran Liu, Yunting Lu, Tianyuan Zhang, Wenting Zhao
Summary: This study reveals that GDI1 serves as a potential diagnostic biomarker for AD and inhibition of GDI1 can attenuate Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. The findings offer new insights for the treatment of AD.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Zahra Gholami, Ava Soltani Hekmat, Ali Abbasi, Kazem Javanmardi
Summary: This study investigated the effects of alamandine on allodynia in a rat model and found the presence of MrgD receptors in the vlPAG and RVM regions. Microinjection of alamandine resulted in a significant increase in paw withdrawal threshold and could be blocked by an MrgD receptor antagonist. Upregulation of MrgD receptor expression following allodynia induction suggests a potential compensatory mechanism in response to pain.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Mingliang Xu, Lei Xia, Junjie Li, Yehong Du, Zhifang Dong
Summary: This study found that DHF effectively alleviates sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in developing mice by restoring the balance between tau O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation. Therefore, DHF has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for treating cognitive impairment associated with anesthetics, such as sevoflurane.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Tsubasa Mitsutake, Hisato Nakazono, Takanori Taniguchi, Hisayoshi Yoshizuka, Maiko Sakamoto
Summary: The posterior parietal cortex plays a crucial role in postural stability, and transcranial electrical stimulation of this region can modulate physical control responses. This study found that cathodal stimulation significantly decreased joint angular velocity in multiple directions, while there were no significant differences with transcranial random noise stimulation.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Xishuai Yang, Wei Zhang, Xueli Chang, Zuopeng Li, Runquan Du, Junhong Guo
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose rituximab (RTX) in patients with muscle-specific kinase antibody positive myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG). The results showed that low-dose RTX treatment led to significant improvements in clinical symptoms and quality of life for patients with MuSK-MG.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Jian Zhang, Shunyuan Guo, Rong Tao, Fan Wang, Yihong Xie, Huizi Wang, Lan Ding, Yuejian Shen, Xiaoli Zhou, Junli Feng, Qing Shen
Summary: This study established an Alzheimer's disease (AD) model of zebrafish induced by AlCl3 and found that marine-derived plasmalogens (Pls) could alleviate cognitive impairments of AD zebrafish by reversing athletic impairment and altering the expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress, ferroptosis, synaptic dysfunction, and apoptosis.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Lu Li, Jiaqi Ren, Qi Fang, Liqiang Yu, Jintao Wang
Summary: ICU-AW is a common and severe neuromuscular complication in critically ill patients. Electrophysiological examination is essential for accurate diagnosis and early prediction of the disease. This study aimed to establish and validate an ICU-AW predictive model in SIRS patients, providing a practical tool for early clinical prediction.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Ahmad Alipour, Roghayeh Mohammadi
Summary: The present study aimed to investigate the separate and combined effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3) regions on pain relief in patients with type-2 diabetes suffering from neuropathic pain (NP). The results showed that tDCS had the potential to induce pain relief in patients with type-2 diabetes suffering from NP. The mean perceived pain intensity in the posttest was lower in the M1 stimulation group than in the F3 stimulation group. However, more trials with larger sample sizes are necessary to define clinically relevant effects.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Eduardo J. Fusse, Franciele F. Scarante, Maria A. Vicente, Mariana M. Marrubia, Flavia Turcato, Davi S. Scomparin, Melissa A. Ribeiro, Maria J. Figueiredo, Tamires A. V. Brigante, Francisco S. Guimaraes, Alline C. Campos
Summary: Repeated exposure to psychosocial stress alters the endocannabinoid system and affects brain regions associated with emotional distress. Enhancing the effects of endocannabinoids through pharmacological inhibition induces an anti-stress behavioral effect, possibly mediated by the mTOR signaling pathway.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Giulia Agostoni, Luca Bischetti, Federica Repaci, Margherita Bechi, Marco Spangaro, Irene Ceccato, Elena Cavallini, Luca Fiorentino, Francesca Martini, Jacopo Sapienza, Mariachiara Buonocore, Michele Francesco D'Incalci, Federica Cocchi, Carmelo Guglielmino, Roberto Cavallaro, Marta Bosia, Valentina Bambini
Summary: This study found a general impairment in humor comprehension in individuals with schizophrenia, with mental jokes being more difficult for both patients and controls. Humor comprehension was closely associated with the patients' overall pragmatic and linguistic profile, while the association with Theory of Mind (ToM) was minimal. Another notable finding was the increased appreciation of humor in individuals with schizophrenia, who rated jokes as funnier than controls did, regardless of whether they were correctly or incorrectly completed. The funniness ratings were not predicted by any measure, suggesting a dimension of humor untied to cognition or psychopathology.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Xiuping Gong, Qi Li, Yang Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates that Sev targets CREBBP to inhibit ALG13 transcription, leading to hippocampal damage and cognitive impairment.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)