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Neurotransmitters and Hormones in Neurological Disorders
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Neurotransmitters and Hormones in Neurological Disorders

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2023) | Viewed by 6417

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Andrea Kwakowsky

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Guest Editor
Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Galway Neuroscience Centre, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway, University Road, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland
Interests: neuroscience; Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease; human neurodegenerative diseases; gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate signalling; estrogen signalling; neurotrophin signalling; neuroprotection; neuroinflmmation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of IJMS provides a forum for the dissemination of the most recent findings on neurotransmitters and/or hormones in neurological disorders.

Neurotransmitters and hormones are two types of chemical signaling molecules that are responsible for regulating normal physiological functioning, including brain function and behavior. Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as well as epilepsy and brain tumors pose extraordinary challenges for drug development. Neurotransmitters and hormones are involved in disease pathology and also can serve as therapeutic targets for these conditions. Sex differences in the pathogenesis of these diseases can be driven by hormonal changes that naturally occur during different stages of life such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and aging but can also be related to pathological processes that affect the hormonal system. Therefore, a better understanding of neurotransmitter dysfunction and the involvement of hormones in neurological disorders could offer novel preventive strategies and treatment options.

We welcome the submission of research and review articles on the advances in every aspect of research focusing on neurotransmitters and/or hormones in the field of neurological diseases.

Dr. Andrea Kwakowsky
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 2959 KiB  
Article
Deep-Brain Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation Enhances Food-Related Motivation by Influencing Neuroinflammation and Anxiety Levels in a Rat Model of Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease
by Beata Grembecka, Irena Majkutewicz, Oliwia Harackiewicz and Danuta Wrona
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16916; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316916 - 29 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 819
Abstract
Deep-brain subthalamic nucleus stimulation (DBS-STN) has become a well-established therapeutic option for advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). While the motor benefits of DBS-STN are widely acknowledged, the neuropsychiatric effects are still being investigated. Beyond its immediate effects on neuronal circuits, emerging research suggests that [...] Read more.
Deep-brain subthalamic nucleus stimulation (DBS-STN) has become a well-established therapeutic option for advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). While the motor benefits of DBS-STN are widely acknowledged, the neuropsychiatric effects are still being investigated. Beyond its immediate effects on neuronal circuits, emerging research suggests that DBS-STN might also modulate the peripheral inflammation and neuroinflammation. In this work, we assessed the effects of DBS-STN on food-related motivation, food intake pattern, and the level of anxiety and compared them with markers of cellular and immune activation in nigrostriatal and mesolimbic areas in rats with the 6-OHDA model of early PD. To evaluate the potential mechanism of observed effects, we also measured corticosterone concentration in plasma and leukocyte distribution in peripheral blood. We found that DBS-STN applied during neurodegeneration has beneficial effects on food intake pattern and motivation and reduces anxiety. These behavioral effects occur with reduced percentages of IL-6-labeled cells in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta in the stimulated brain hemisphere. At the same brain structures, the cFos cell activations were confirmed. Simultaneously, the corticosterone plasma concentration was elevated, and the peripheral blood lymphocytes were reduced after DBS-STN. We believe that comprehending the relationship between the effects of DBS-STN on inflammation and its therapeutic results is essential for optimizing DBS therapy in PD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurotransmitters and Hormones in Neurological Disorders)
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Review

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34 pages, 826 KiB  
Review
Is Hormone Replacement Therapy a Risk Factor or a Therapeutic Option for Alzheimer’s Disease?
by Zoe B. Mills, Richard L. M. Faull and Andrea Kwakowsky
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3205; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043205 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5083
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that accounts for more than half of all dementia cases in the elderly. Interestingly, the clinical manifestations of AD disproportionately affect women, comprising two thirds of all AD cases. Although the underlying mechanisms for these [...] Read more.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that accounts for more than half of all dementia cases in the elderly. Interestingly, the clinical manifestations of AD disproportionately affect women, comprising two thirds of all AD cases. Although the underlying mechanisms for these sex differences are not fully elucidated, evidence suggests a link between menopause and a higher risk of developing AD, highlighting the critical role of decreased estrogen levels in AD pathogenesis. The focus of this review is to evaluate clinical and observational studies in women, which have investigated the impact of estrogens on cognition or attempted to answer the prevailing question regarding the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a preventive or therapeutic option for AD. The articles were retrieved through a systematic review of the databases: OVID, SCOPUS, and PubMed (keywords “memory”, “dementia,” “cognition,” “Alzheimer’s disease”, “estrogen”, “estradiol”, “hormone therapy” and “hormone replacement therapy” and by searching reference sections from identified studies and review articles). This review presents the relevant literature available on the topic and discusses the mechanisms, effects, and hypotheses that contribute to the conflicting findings of HRT in the prevention and treatment of age-related cognitive deficits and AD. The literature suggests that estrogens have a clear role in modulating dementia risk, with reliable evidence showing that HRT can have both a beneficial and a deleterious effect. Importantly, recommendation for the use of HRT should consider the age of initiation and baseline characteristics, such as genotype and cardiovascular health, as well as the dosage, formulation, and duration of treatment until the risk factors that modulate the effects of HRT can be more thoroughly investigated or progress in the development of alternative treatments can be made. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurotransmitters and Hormones in Neurological Disorders)
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