Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Emanuela Micioni Di Bonaventura, Luca Botticelli, Fabio Del Bello, Gianfabio Giorgioni, Alessandro Piergentili, Wilma Quaglia, Adele Romano, Silvana Gaetani, Maria Vittoria Micioni Di Bonaventura, Carlo Cifani
Summary: The melanocortinergic neural circuit, particularly the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) subtype, plays a role in influencing energy expenditure, feeding behavior, stress responses, and stress-related behaviors such as anxiety and depression. MC4R agonists exacerbate stress-induced anxiety and depressive behavior, while MC4R antagonists have been shown to mitigate such disorders, suggesting a potential novel treatment approach for anxiety and depression induced by stress.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Nikita Deo, Gregory Redpath
Summary: This article examines the important role of endocytosis in the cellular basis of depression and anxiety. It provides a detailed explanation of the endocytic regulation of 5-HT receptors and SERT, and explores how SSRIs and hallucinogenic compounds modulate serotonin signaling through endocytosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yadira Ibarguen-Vargas, Samuel Leman, Rupert Palme, Catherine Belzung, Alexandre Surget
Summary: Despite showing promise initially, CRF-R1 antagonists have not been effective in clinical trials for anxiety or depression. These drugs may be more beneficial in single stressful situations or for individuals with chronic stress conditions. Although they can improve negative feedback in chronically stressed individuals, long-term use of CRF-R1 antagonists may lead to overactivation of the HPA axis, raising concerns about potential physiological outcomes under ongoing chronic stress.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danielle M. Diniz, Francesca Calabrese, Paola Brivio, Marco A. Riva, Joanes Grandjean, Judith R. Homberg
Summary: BDNF plays a crucial role in neuroplasticity, vulnerability and resilience to stress-related disorders. Modulation of BDNF levels in the ventral hippocampus of SERT-/- rats led to positive behavioral outcomes, suggesting BDNF upregulation as a potential target for new therapeutic approaches in improving depressive symptoms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Rachele K. Lipsky, Catherine C. McDonald, Margaret C. Souders, Claudia C. Carpio, Anne M. Teitelman
Summary: The study found that various genetic polymorphisms in the serotonergic signaling system moderated the association between ACEs and depression, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors with a high affinity for the serotonin transporter resulted in poor treatment outcomes for patients with a history of ACEs.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Congcong Liu, Keshuang Li, Meina Fu, Yingying Zhang, Cornelia Sindermann, Christian Montag, Xiaoxiao Zheng, Hongxing Zhang, Shuxia Yao, Zheng Wang, Bo Zhou, Keith M. Kendrick, Benjamin Becker
Summary: Serotonin plays a crucial role in emotion regulation and can contribute to the development and treatment of emotional dysregulations. A recent study found that individual variations in the TPH2 genetics may increase susceptibility to the detrimental effects of temporary decreases in 5-HT signaling, leading to increased anxiety and altered neural threat reactivity.
EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Federica Barbagallo, Laura Cucinella, Lara Tiranini, Ellis Martini, David Bosoni, Pietro Molinaro, Federica Battista, Francesca Albani, Aldo E. Calogero, Rossella E. Nappi
Summary: This study found that personality traits are related to sexual function and mood in symptomatic postmenopausal women, with harm avoidance playing a mediating role. This suggests that in clinical practice, it may be useful to use psychometric tools to screen for mood disorders and assess personality traits in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders in menopausal women.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nour-eddine Kaikai, Saadia Ba-M'hamed, Aiman Slimani, Ilham Dilagui, Asmae Lamrani Hanchi, Nabila Soraa, Nour-eddine Mezrioui, Mohamed Bennis, Abderrazzak Ghanima
Summary: This study found that chronic exposure to Metam sodium-based pesticide (MS-BP) can lead to anxiety and depression-like behaviors, as well as impair the serotoninergic system and gut microbiota in mice.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Fei Huang, Xiaojun Wu
Summary: Researches show that gut microbiota play a crucial role in neurotransmitter modulation in the brain, which is closely related to the pathophysiology of anxiety and depression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Xin Yang, Fei Geng
Summary: A large body of literature has highlighted the significance of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in regulating neuropsychiatric diseases. Anxiety disorders are among the most common neuropsychiatric disorders and studies have shown that the CRF family plays a role in their development and maintenance. Thus, targeting the CRF family is considered a potential treatment for anxiety disorders.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Selim Gundogan, Ibrahim Arpaci
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact worldwide, leading to an increase in psychological distress. This study examined the relationships between Fear of COVID-19 (FoC), depression, and death anxiety, as well as the mediating role of depression in the FoC-death anxiety relationship. The findings indicated that FoC was positively and significantly associated with both depression and death anxiety. Depression was found to be a positive and significant predictor of death anxiety. Additionally, depression partially mediated the relationship between FoC and death anxiety.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Mohammed Ibrahim, Elias Saeed, Islam Hamarsheh, Hamzeh Al Zabadi, Muna Ahmead
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, hemodialysis patients in Palestine commonly experience depression and death anxiety. Factors such as female identity, residing in a city or refugee camp, and not experiencing depression were significantly related to death anxiety, while having a higher educational level, having one or more chronic co-morbidities, and experiencing death anxiety were significantly correlated with depression.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Peter Bedford, Daniel J. Hauke, Zheng Wang, Volker Roth, Monika Nagy-Huber, Friederike Holze, Laura Ley, Patrick Vizeli, Matthias E. Liechti, Stefan Borgwardt, Felix Mueller, Andreea O. Diaconescu
Summary: This study investigated the neural mechanisms of LSD using rDCM and found that LSD disrupts the excitatory/inhibitory balance of the brain. Whole-brain effective connectivity was correlated with the subjective effects of LSD and could potentially be used to decode or predict these effects in the future.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Christian R. Mejia, Aldo Alvarez-Risco, Yanire M. Mejia, Susan C. Quispe, Shyla Del-Aguila-Arcentales, Victor Serna-Alarcon, Martin A. Vilela-Estrada, Jose Armada, Jaime A. Yanez
Summary: The study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of young people, particularly university health sciences students in Latin America. The death of a family member or close friend from COVID-19 was associated with higher prevalences of depression, anxiety, and stress among the students. This highlights the need for psychological support programs for students who have experienced such losses during the pandemic, as it can have academic and social repercussions.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sharon A. Smith, Paula D. Trotter, Francis P. McGlone, Susannah C. Walker
Summary: The study found that reducing central serotonin levels can enhance the perception of salt taste and the intensity of bitter and sour tastes, but has no effect on sweet taste detection. Additionally, it showed that depletion of central serotonin levels can enhance responsiveness to aversive signals in both neural and behavioral aspects.