Targeting Neuromodulators: Effective Therapeutic Strategies for Brain Disorders
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 24 April 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: neuroscience; neuropharmacology; antioxidants; neuroinflammation; models of neurodegenerative diseases; aging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue aims to cover recent progress in brain activity and the role of neuromodulators in neurodegeneration, including brain disorders. Neuromodulators act as the brain’s "tone setters." Their imbalance does not usually shut circuits down entirely, but skews their function—leading to characteristic symptoms of brain disorders. Unlike classical neurotransmitters (e.g., glutamate, GABA) that mediate rapid point-to-point signaling, neuromodulators (such as dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, neuropeptides, and hormones) act more slowly, often diffusing over larger areas and altering the excitability and plasticity of entire neural circuits. Modulators influence excitability, synaptic plasticity, and network oscillations—when dysregulated, entire circuits malfunction. Many disorders arise from imbalances between multiple modulators (e.g., dopamine-serotonin in schizophrenia, serotonin-oxytocin in autism). Neuromodulators are actually the main targets for most current therapies in neurology and psychiatry. Because they fine-tune circuits rather than just “on/off” signaling, drugs and interventions that adjust them can restore balance in dysfunctional networks. Most brain disorder treatments either increase deficient neuromodulator signaling (e.g., dopamine in Parkinson’s, serotonin in depression) or reduce excessive signaling (e.g., dopamine in psychosis, NE in PTSD). Newer approaches aim for precision targeting (specific receptor subtypes, biased agonism, neurostimulation) to reduce side effects. Moreover, most psychiatric drugs (antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, ADHD medications) act on modulatory systems rather than fast synaptic transmission. Understanding their pharmacology and mechanisms of action in specific ways is essential for developing novel therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. The big advantage of targeting neuromodulator pathways is the ability to restore balance in dysfunctional brain and body networks with higher specificity, fewer side effects, and applicability across multiple hard-to-treat disorders.
This Special Issue seeks compelling, original research papers, insightful commentaries, and comprehensive reviews that explore the pharmacology of neuromodulators and their potential as innovative therapeutic strategies for brain disorders. We welcome contributions from diverse disciplines, including chemistry and neuroscience, that illuminate the role of neuromodulators in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Together, we aim to advance the understanding of these crucial compounds and their potential impact on addressing pressing neurological challenges.
Dr. Jana Tchekalarova
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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.
Keywords
- neuromodulators
- brain disorders
- targets
- dysfunctional networks
- dopamine
- serotonin
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