Current Neuropharmacology - Volume 21, Issue 6, 2023

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is associated with significant psychosocial impairment, high use of mental health services and a high number of relapses and hospitalization. Neuroimaging techniques provide the opportunity to study the neurodevelopmental processes underlying PBD, helping to identify the endophenotypic markers of illness and early biological markers of PBD. The aim of the study is to review available studies Read More

Background: Serum prolactin levels are influenced by sex, physical development and medications among other factors. Antipsychotics usually increase serum prolactin levels in both adults and younger patients, but no study has reviewed the potential association between sex and vulnerability for developing hyperprolactinemia among children and adolescents. Objective: Systematic review and meta-analysis of ser Read More

Background: Lithium is the standard treatment for bipolar disorders (BD) in adults. There is a dearth of data on its use in the pediatric age. This review aimed to investigate the use of lithium in pediatric bipolar disorder (BD) and other externalizing childhood-related disorders. Methods: We applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses criteria (PRISMA) to identify randomized controlled tria Read More

Background: Gender differences have been reported in the severity and psychopathological features of major depressive disorders among adults but are poorly reported in adolescent samples. Objective: This study aimed to examine gender differences in the psychopathology of mixed depression among adolescents. Methods: We analyzed 341 outpatients with the current major depressive episode (MDE) retrospectively Read More

Background: There is evidence of alterations in mitochondrial energy metabolism and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adults and youth with bipolar disorder (BD). Brain thermoregulation is based on the balance of heat-producing metabolism and heat-dissipating mechanisms, including CBF. Objective: To examine brain temperature, and its relation to CBF, in relation to BD and mood symptom severity in youth. Methods: This s Read More

Background: Emerging evidence points towards the involvement of the cerebellum in the processing of emotions and pathophysiology of mood disorders. However, cerebellar and related cognitive alterations in youth with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) and those at high risk to develop the disorder, such as bipolar offspring (BD-OFF) are not clearly defined. Objective: To investigate cerebellar gray and white matter volumes, Read More

Background: The impairing neurodevelopmental course of bipolar disorder (BD) suggests the importance of early intervention for youth in the beginning phases of the illness. Objective: We report the results of a 3-site randomized trial of family-focused therapy for youth at high-risk (FFT-HR) for BD, and explore psychosocial and neuroimaging variables as mediators of treatment effects. Methods: High-risk youth (<18 year Read More

Background: The presence of mixed (subsyndromal hypomanic) symptoms may influence treatment outcomes in pediatric bipolar depression. This post-hoc analysis investigated “bridge” symptoms that have cross-sectional and predictive associations with depressive and manic symptom clusters in youth with bipolar depression. Methods: The moderating effects of these bridge symptoms on the response to flexibly dosed l Read More

Ischemic stroke includes two related pathological damage processes: brain injury caused by primary ischemia and secondary ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. I/R injury has become a worldwide health problem. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of satisfactory drugs for ameliorating cerebral I/R damage. Nrf2 is a vital endogenous antioxidant protein, which combines with Keap1 to maintain a dormant state under physiological co Read More

The phytochemicals have antioxidant properties to counter the deleterious effects of oxidative stress in the central nervous system and can be a promising drug candidate for neurodegenerative diseases. Among various phytochemicals, constituents of spice origin have recently received special attention for neurodegenerative diseases owing to their health benefits, therapeutic potential, edible nature, and dietary accessi Read More

Mitochondria regulate multiple aspects of neuronal development, physiology, plasticity, and pathology through their regulatory roles in bioenergetic, calcium, redox, and cell survival/death signalling. While several reviews have addressed these different aspects, a comprehensive discussion focussing on the relevance of isolated brain mitochondria and their utilities in neuroscience research has been lacking. This is Read More

Neuronal injury during acute hypoxia, ischemia, and following reperfusion are partially attributable to oxidative damage caused by deleterious fluctuations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In particular, mitochondrial superoxide (O2•-) production is believed to upsurge during lowoxygen conditions and also following reperfusion, before being dismutated to H2O2 and released into the cell. However, disruptions of redox ho Read More