CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 13, Issue 10, 2014

Regular physical exercise/activity has been shown repeatedly to promote positive benefits in cognitive, emotional and motor domains concomitant with reductions in distress and negative affect. It exerts a preventative role in anxiety and depressive states and facilitates psychological well-being in both adolescents and adults. Not least, several meta-analyses attest to improvements brought about by exercise. In the present treati Read More

Cells of the immune system and the central nervous system are capable of interacting with each other. The former cell populations respond to infection, tissue injury and trauma by releasing substances capable of provoking an inflammatory reaction. Inflammation is now recognized as a key feature in nervous system pathologies such as chronic pain, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, spinal cord injury, and neuropsychi Read More

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) have reciprocal relationship and share common pathophysiological mechanisms in the central nervous system. Depression and diabetes negatively affect cognitive function and are independent risk factors for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimers disease (AD). It has been hypothesized that alterations in the production and processing of amyloid beta (Aβ Read More

Background: Patients with mood disorder, both unipolar and bipolar, present with significant cognitive dysfunction while unwell and this persists into euthymia. This impairment is to an extent independent of mood symptoms, has significant implications for prognosis, and exerts an effect on overall functioning. Neurobiological data suggest that the cognitive dysfunction may relate to underlying dysfunction of pre-frontal cortic Read More

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is frequently associated with significant cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, MDD is often co-morbid with obesity and metabolic disorders. The aim of this review is to evaluate the pathophysiological role obesity and co-morbid metabolic disorders may play in cognitive dysfunction associated with MDD. We conducted a PubMed search from December 1st 2013 to May 31st 2014 of all English lan Read More

Major depression is one of the leading causes of disability and psychosocial impairment worldwide. Although many advances have been made in the neurobiology of this complex disorder, the pathophysiological mechanisms are still unclear. Among the proposed theories, impaired neuroplasticity and hippocampal neurogenesis have received considerable attention. The possible association between hippocampal ne Read More

Depression is one of the most debilitating disorders of our times. Antidepressant medication, one of the most common (and often first-line) treatments to date, aim to alleviate symptoms, but finding which type of drug benefits which patient remains a daunting task. The underlying mechanism that translates neurochemical effects to symptom improvement is still far from precise. In this review we summarized the e Read More

Objectives/Introduction: Major Depressive Disorder is associated age-related medical conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus type II, Alzheimer’s disease) that frequently manifest at an earlier age, contributing to excess and premature mortality. The foregoing observation provides the impetus to further refine potential mechanisms and molecular pathways subserving these disorders in order to more effectively treat these clinical Read More

The default mode network (DMN) describes a distributed network of brain regions that are predominantly activated and engaged during periods of spontaneous, stimulus independent thought (i.e., at rest) and remain quiescent during attention-demanding, goal-directed tasks. Replicated evidence in functional neuroimaging studies suggests that midline cortical and subcortical brain regions responsible for memory, self-rel Read More

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), have been increasingly used in different contexts to improve cognitive performance and ameliorate depression symptoms. Considering that major depression is usually accompanied by cognitive deficits, NIBS technique could be also helpful to improve cognitio Read More

A priority clinical and research agenda in mood and anxiety disorders is to identify determinants that influence illness trajectory and outcome. Over the past decade, studies have demonstrated a bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiome and brain function (i.e., the microbiota-gut-brain axis). Probiotic treatments and developmental analysis of the microbiome may provide potential treatments and preventative mea Read More

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with significant cognitive dysfunction in both ‘hot’ (i.e. emotion-laden) and ‘cold’ (non-emotional) domains. Here we review evidence pertaining to ‘hot’ cognitive changes in MDD. This systematic review searched the PubMed and PsycInfo computerized databases in May 2014 augmented by hand searches of reference lists. We included original articles in which MDD partici Read More

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and recurring mental disorder often associated with high rates of non-recovery and substantial consequences on psychosocial outcome. Cognitive impairment is one of the most frequent residual symptoms of MDD. The persistence of cognitive impairment even in remitted phases of the disorder, notably in the domains of executive function and attention, suggests that it may ser Read More

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with cognitive dysfunction encompassing several domains, including memory, executive function, processing speed and attention. Cognitive deficits persist in a significant proportion of patients even in remission, compromising psychosocial functioning and workforce performance. While monoaminergic antidepressants may improve cognitive performance in MDD, most antid Read More

Background: Cognitive deficits differentially affect individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and mood disorders. Accumulating evidence implicates disturbances in metabolism as salient to cognitive function. Thus, the mitigation of metabolic disturbances may preserve or ameliorate cognitive function. This review aims to evaluate available evidence investigating the effects of metformin on cognitive function as well a Read More

Clinical manifestations of major depressive disorder (MDD) have been linked to structural and functional alterations in fronto-limbic circuits and white matter microstructural abnormalities. However, little is known about how brain pathological changes in volume and microstructure are related to illness progression throughout aging, including course deterioration and treatment response. A comprehensive review of the li Read More

Major depression is a serious public health problem and one of the most common psychiatric disorders, and it is estimated that millions of people are affected worldwide. In addition, patients having depression present cognitive impairments, which could influence treatment adherence and long-term outcomes. Although, studies have shown that alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, in inflammatory and anti Read More