scholarly journals The possible role of oxytocin in neuropsychiatric disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 274-278
Author(s):  
Donatella Marazziti ◽  
Alessandra Della Vecchia
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Peptide Hormone ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Social Signals ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Compulsive Disorder

Oxytocin (OT) is a peptide hormone unique to mammals, typically involved in activities characteristic of this vertebrate class, such as labour and lactation. Evidence suggests a role of OT even in most complex activities, including child attachment, maternal care, couple bonding, emotional and social behaviors. Furthermore, it seems to contribute to the modulation of stress responses, learning, and memory processes, as well as to the connection of social signals with cognition, behaviors and reward. For this reason, for years there has been a debate on the possible contribution of the OT system in the pathophysiology of different neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, addiction, and schizophrenia. In this article, we describe the most relevant findings on OT system abnormalities in the aforementioned disorders, with a focus on possible therapeutic implications.

scholarly journals The Microbiota/Microbiome and the Gut–Brain Axis: How Much Do They Matter in Psychiatry?

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 760
Author(s):  
Donatella Marazziti ◽  
Beatrice Buccianelli ◽  
Stefania Palermo ◽  
Elisabetta Parra ◽  
Alessandro Arone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

The functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) is the result of the constant integration of bidirectional messages between the brain and peripheral organs, together with their connections with the environment. Despite the anatomical separation, gut microbiota, i.e., the microorganisms colonising the gastrointestinal tract, is highly related to the CNS through the so-called “gut–brain axis”. The aim of this paper was to review and comment on the current literature on the role of the intestinal microbiota and the gut–brain axis in some common neuropsychiatric conditions. The recent literature indicates that the gut microbiota may affect brain functions through endocrine and metabolic pathways, antibody production and the enteric network while supporting its possible role in the onset and maintenance of several neuropsychiatric disorders, neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders. Alterations in the gut microbiota composition were observed in mood disorders and autism spectrum disorders and, apparently to a lesser extent, even in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related conditions, as well as in schizophrenia. Therefore, gut microbiota might represent an interesting field of research for a better understanding of the pathophysiology of common neuropsychiatric disorders and possibly as a target for the development of innovative treatments that some authors have already labelled “psychobiotics”.

scholarly journals Role of Glutamatergic System in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with Possible Therapeutic Implications

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (06) ◽  
pp. 229-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Přemysl Vlček ◽  
Jakub Polák ◽  
Martin Brunovský ◽  
Jiří Horáček
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Glutamatergic System ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Neuropsychological Evidence

AbstractObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric illness and 1 of the most common anxiety disorders with the prevalence of 3%. Although its pathogenesis remains unclear, the traditional model focused on alternations in the serotonin system. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors provide the most effective treatment; however, as much as 40–60% of patients do not respond to antidepressants therapy. Thus, attention has shifted towards other neurotransmitter systems and related neuroanatomical structures. Recently, there is extensive evidence showing a key role of glutamate pathways abnormalities within the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical circuitry and temporal lobes in OCD pathogenesis. In this review, we link together the existent neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological evidence to argue for potential benefits of adjuvant treatment with glutamatergic agents, especially memantine. By a targeted de-excitation effect on the glutamatergic system in the temporal lobes and connected brain regions, memantine might further alleviate OCD symptoms. This effect should be even more pronounced in certain subtypes of patients with specific cognitive deficits and maladaptive compensatory memory processes (e.g., checkers).

scholarly journals Forgetting Unwanted Memories: Active Forgetting and Implications for the Development of Psychological Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Marco Costanzi ◽  
Beatrice Cianfanelli ◽  
Alessandro Santirocchi ◽  
Stefano Lasaponara ◽  
Pietro Spataro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Neurotransmitter Systems ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Induced Forgetting ◽  
Active Processes

Intrusive memories are a common feature of many psychopathologies, and suppression-induced forgetting of unwanted memories appears as a critical ability to preserve mental health. In recent years, biological and cognitive studies converged in revealing that forgetting is due to active processes. Recent neurobiological studies provide evidence on the active role of main neurotransmitter systems in forgetting, suggesting that the brain actively works to suppress retrieval of unwanted memories. On the cognitive side, there is evidence that voluntary and involuntary processes (here termed “intentional” and “incidental” forgetting, respectively) contribute to active forgetting. In intentional forgetting, an inhibitory control mechanism suppresses awareness of unwanted memories at encoding or retrieval. In incidental forgetting, retrieval practice of some memories involuntarily suppresses the retrieval of other related memories. In this review we describe recent findings on deficits in active forgetting observed in psychopathologies, like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Moreover, we report studies in which the role of neurotransmitter systems, known to be involved in the pathogenesis of mental disorders, has been investigated in active forgetting paradigms. The possibility that biological and cognitive mechanisms of active forgetting could be considered as hallmarks of the early onset of psychopathologies is also discussed.

scholarly journals Update on Statin Treatment in Patients with Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1365
Author(s):  
Razieh Avan ◽  
Adeleh Sahebnasagh ◽  
Javad Hashemi ◽  
Mahila Monajati ◽  
Fatemeh Faramarzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Statin Treatment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Anti Oxidant ◽  
Positive Effect

Statins are widely accepted as first-choice agents for the prevention of lipid-related cardiovascular diseases. These drugs have both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, which may also make them effective as potential treatment marked by perturbations in these pathways, such as some neuropsychiatric disorders. In this narrative review, we have investigated the effects of statin therapy in individuals suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder (BD), delirium, and autism spectrum disorders using a broad online search of electronic databases. We also explored the adverse effects of these drugs to obtain insights into the benefits and risks associated with their use in the treatment of these disorders. Lipophilic statins (including simvastatin) because of better brain penetrance may have greater protective effects against MDD and schizophrenia. The significant positive effects of statins in the treatment of anxiety disorders without any serious adverse side effects were shown in numerous studies. In OCD, BD, and delirium, limitations, and contradictions in the available data make it difficult to draw conclusions on any positive effect of statins. The positive effects of simvastatin in autism disorders have been evaluated in only a small number of clinical trials. Although some studies showed positive effect of statins in some neuropsychiatric disorders, further prospective studies are needed to confirm this and define the most effective doses and treatment durations.

scholarly journals Single nucleotide polymorphism of BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) and its association to neuropsychiatric disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 9-26
Author(s):  
Asraa Faris ◽  
Pike-See Cheah ◽  
King-Hwa Ling
Keyword(s):  
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽  
Bdnf Level ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Bdnf Rs6265

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most abundant neurotrophin in the central nervous system and was shown to be involved in neuronal growth, differentiation and synaptic plasticity. A single nucleotide polymorphism at the pro-region of the BDNF gene (rs6265) has been reported to alter the amino acid from valine to methionine at codon 66 and was associated with neuropsychiatric disorders in several studies. To date, the results on the association of BDNF rs6265 to the aetiology of the neuropsychiatric illnesses have been inconsistent with some studies reporting a positive association and others reporting no association. Concerning the past inconsistent reports, this mini-review aims at determining the association of BDNF rs6265 and neuropsychiatric disorders among the different studies. Firstly, we discuss the findings on studies reporting the association of BDNF rs6265 with depression whereby a positive association between the BDNF variant and depression was obtained in several studies on the Caucasian, German, Chinese, and Malaysian population but not in studies on the Korean and other populations. Likewise, some studies found the occurrence of the SNP to be associated with a reduction in the BDNF level in depressed cases, but others found no effect at all. We then reported findings on the association of BDNF rs6265 with anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Val allele has been found associated with these disorders, whereas some studies reported the involvement of the Met allele, and some reported no association at all. Similarly, the association of the BDNF variant with the BDNF level remains controversial. It is, therefore, essential to conduct more studies with larger sample sizes and look at the haplotype level to determine the association.

scholarly journals Effect of tryptophan depletion on conditioned threat memory expression: role of intolerance of uncertainty

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan W Kanen ◽  
Frederique E Arntz ◽  
Robyn Yellowlees ◽  
David M Christmas ◽  
Annabel Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Tryptophan Depletion ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Emotional Responding

AbstractBackgroundResponding emotionally to danger is critical for survival. Normal functioning also requires flexible alteration of emotional responses when a threat becomes safe. Aberrant threat and safety learning occurs in many psychiatric disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia, where emotional responses can persist pathologically. Whilst there is evidence that threat and safety learning can be modulated by the serotonin systems, there have been few studies in humans. We addressed a critical clinically relevant question: How does pharmacological lowering of serotonin affect the retention of conditioned threat memory?MethodsForty-seven healthy participants underwent threat conditioning on Day 1 followed by an extinction session. Emotional responding was assessed by the skin conductance response (SCR). On Day 2, we employed acute dietary tryptophan depletion to lower serotonin temporarily, in a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized between-groups design. We then tested for the return of conditioned threat memory spontaneous recovery). We also measured self-reported intolerance of uncertainty, known to modulate threat memory expression.ResultsThe expression of emotional memory was attenuated in participants who had undergone tryptophan depletion. Individuals who were more intolerant of uncertainty showed even greater attenuation of emotion following depletion.ConclusionsThese results support the view that serotonin is involved in predicting aversive outcomes and refine our understanding of the role of serotonin in the persistence of emotional responsivity, with implications for individual differences in vulnerability to psychopathology.

scholarly journals Behavioral and Emotional Disorders in Children and Their Anesthetic Implications

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Srijaya Reddy ◽  
Nina Deutsch
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Hospital Environment ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Perioperative Course ◽  
The Impact

While most children have anxiety and fears in the hospital environment, especially prior to having surgery, there are several common behavioral and emotional disorders in children that can pose a challenge in the perioperative setting. These include anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this review article is to provide a brief overview of each disorder, explore the impact on anesthesia and perioperative care, and highlight some management techniques that can be used to facilitate a smooth perioperative course.

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