Al-Hassan Soliman Wadan, Mohamed Abdelsattar Ahmed, Dana Saeed Abd Elmonem El Gemaie, Nasrollah Moradikor
{"title":"Impact of positive feelings and negative feelings on brain cell regeneration and degeneration.","authors":"Al-Hassan Soliman Wadan, Mohamed Abdelsattar Ahmed, Dana Saeed Abd Elmonem El Gemaie, Nasrollah Moradikor","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.02.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.02.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brain cells intentionally break their DNA as a crucial step in memory formation and learning. This process allows for the expression of specific genes that are essential for these cognitive functions. While our cells are generally adept at repairing this self-inflicted DNA damage, the efficiency of this repair mechanism can decline with age or due to certain genetic factors. The deliberate DNA breakage in neurons enables the activation of rapid response genes, which in turn trigger broader transcriptional programs supporting various behaviors, including learning and memory. This process is a normal part of cellular function and gene expression. However, neurological disorders, certain syndromes, and the aging process can impair this DNA repair ability. When cells struggle to mend the intentional DNA breaks, it can lead to cellular weakening and eventual degeneration. The subsequent discussion will explore how positive and negative emotions influence the processes of brain cell regeneration and degradation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"293 ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144182197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maylin Hanampa-Maquera, Rafael Cândido Lourenço, Alexis Bailey, Rosana Camarini
{"title":"Hormetic pathways in environmental enrichment in animal models and humans.","authors":"Maylin Hanampa-Maquera, Rafael Cândido Lourenço, Alexis Bailey, Rosana Camarini","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Environmental Enrichment (EE), which provides enhanced sensory, cognitive, motor, and social stimulation, has emerged as a powerful paradigm for investigating neuroplasticity and stress resilience. This chapter explores how EE functions through hormetic mechanisms-where multiple mild stimuli trigger adaptive responses that promote beneficial outcomes. Since Hebb's pioneering work on neuronal ensembles, research has demonstrated that EE enhances neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and neurotrophic factor expression (BDNF and NGF) while modulating inflammatory processes, epigenetic pathways, and metabolic function. These adaptive responses operate according to biphasic dose-response patterns characteristic of hormesis, where moderate stimulation produces benefits that may diminish or become detrimental with excessive exposure. In animal models, EE has shown remarkable efficacy in mitigating cognitive decline, reducing anxiety-like behaviors, attenuating addiction vulnerability, and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases. The modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the shifts in microglial phenotype observed with EE illustrate its role as a hormetic stimulus, as it can act as a mild stressor that promotes adaptive neuroplasticity, enhancing the organism's ability to cope with future stressors. In humans, analogous enrichments through physical exercise, cognitive challenges, social engagement, and music facilitate neuroplasticity, protect against cognitive decline, and promote stress resilience. The hormetic framework also explains why enrichment must be tailored to individual thresholds-excessive stimulation can overwhelm adaptive capacities, transforming beneficial eustress into harmful distress. By understanding EE as a hormetic intervention, this chapter bridges basic neuroscience with translational applications that may enhance resilience against neuropsychiatric disorders typically prevalent in aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"295 ","pages":"189-227"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144795179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abraham Olufemi Asuku, Priscilla Omobonke Adebayo, Gbonjubola Oyinlola Ogungbangbe
{"title":"Stress and gender differences in brain development.","authors":"Abraham Olufemi Asuku, Priscilla Omobonke Adebayo, Gbonjubola Oyinlola Ogungbangbe","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.01.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.01.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This chapter investigates the ways in which male and female brains are differently affected by stress during early development, which in turn affects how susceptible each group is to stress-related illnesses. When examining the structure and function of the brain, gender differences and stress must be taken into account. Male and female brain development differs in response to the prenatal testis's secretion of androgen. It appears that when it comes to responding to stress, encoding memories, feeling emotions, solving specific issues, and making decisions, men and women use distinct areas of the brain. Findings revealed that stress led to specific changes in brain structure and function, with gender-specific differences observed. The prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala are among the brain regions connected to the stress response. The stress response has been linked to the presentation of numerous mental and psychosomatic conditions. The way men and women respond to stress varies on a biological and psychological level. To gain more insight into the gender differences seen throughout brain development, these disparities must also be investigated. This chapter implies that gender-specific vulnerabilities should be addressed and healthy brain development should be promoted by stress-related interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"291 ","pages":"319-337"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143980675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Geovana Rosa Oliveira Dos Santos, Thiago Amorim de Souza Lima, Merle Gallus, Elisa Mitiko Kawamoto
{"title":"Intermittent fasting and ketone bodies.","authors":"Geovana Rosa Oliveira Dos Santos, Thiago Amorim de Souza Lima, Merle Gallus, Elisa Mitiko Kawamoto","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intermittent fasting (IF) is a dietary intervention based on time-restricted energy intake. Over the years, IF has been widely investigated as a non-pharmacological approach to increasing life expectancy and promoting brain health. The underlying mechanisms by which IF promotes its beneficial effects are attributed to hormesis, an evolutionary adaptive strategy that regulates cellular responses to stress. These effects include elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), enhanced neurogenesis and autophagy, increased synaptic plasticity, and improved cognitive functions such as memory and learning. The metabolic switch induced by IF promotes the production of ketone bodies (β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone), which serve as alternative energy substrate for the central nervous system (CNS) and modulator of vital processes, including cellular homeostasis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The two most common neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD), are characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation and energy deficits. IF has shown a promising therapeutic approach through its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, which need to be further assessed. Through similar mechanisms, IF appears to exert an antidepressant effect by regulating monoamines in limbic regions, and inhibiting neuroinflammation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"295 ","pages":"39-82"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144795181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Physiological aspects of hormesis.","authors":"Elisa Mitiko Kawamoto, Cristoforo Scavone, Rosana Camarini","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hormesis-the adaptive response of cells and organisms to moderate, intermittent stress-has emerged as a promising framework for treating neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. This biphasic dose-response phenomenon can benefit biological systems by inducing neural plasticity, improving cognitive function, and enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. Hormetic interventions including intermittent fasting, physical exercise, and environmental enrichment, among others, work through common molecular pathways. These approaches collectively modulate essential transcription factors such as NF-κB, CREB, and Nrf2, and consequent increases in the expression of neuroprotective genes, such as BDNF and heat shock proteins. The relationship between stress and biological outcomes follows an inverted U-shaped curve, where moderate stress triggers beneficial adaptations while chronic or excessive stress leads to allostatic load and pathology. This mechanistic understanding bridges traditional concepts of homeostasis with modern views on neuroplasticity and resilience. By elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of hormetic responses, researchers can develop precisely calibrated, personalized interventions that may lead to therapeutic approaches to neurodegenerative conditions, neuropsychiatric disorders, and age-related cognitive decline.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"295 ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144795182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phytochemicals and brain health: The effects of curcumin, isoflavonoids, and ouabain.","authors":"Arthur B Cantanzaro, Ana Maria Orellana","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent data underscores a critical public health issue: more than 40 % of the global population suffers from neurological conditions, for which no cures currently exist. To combat this pressing challenge, researchers are turning to phytochemicals-bioactive compounds derived from plants that hold promising health benefits, particularly for cognitive function. This chapter intends to shed light on groundbreaking discoveries regarding curcumin, isoflavonoids, and cardiotonic steroids, natural compounds that act on the brain. These substances have shown significant potential for enhancing brain health as we age, especially in addressing neurodegenerative processes such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. We will also examine the intricate molecular mechanisms these compounds activate to offer neuroprotection, supported by both in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, we will analyze clinical trials that inspire optimism for the development of innovative therapeutic drugs in the near future. Supporting research in this area could be vital to transforming the landscape of neurological health.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"295 ","pages":"135-188"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144795197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The neuroscientific basis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): From brain to treatment.","authors":"Lila Agbaria, Foad Mirzaei, Nathalie Omar A'amar, Farah Tawfiq Raba, Garbis Papazian, Khushbu Bhatnagar, Nethmini Sirimanne, Aaqil Ahamed Ayoubkhan, Albankha Gerald Thilagendra, Anushka Gupta","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.01.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.01.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition resulting from exposure to traumatic events, marked by persistent psychological distress and impairment in daily functioning. Risk factors for PTSD include genetic predispositions, neurobiological factors, as well as psychosocial and environmental influences. Specific demographic groups, such as veterans, first responders, and individuals in high-risk environments, are more susceptible to developing the disorder. Despite growing research, there remain gaps in understanding the full pathophysiology of PTSD, and existing diagnostic methods and treatments are not universally effective, contributing to a significant public health burden. This chapter explores the pathophysiology of PTSD, focusing on its underlying mechanisms, associated risk factors, and high-risk populations. Biological biomarkers such as neuroimaging findings, hormonal imbalances, genetic predispositions, and physiological indicators are discussed in the context of their role in PTSD diagnosis and understanding. Both pharmacological treatments and non-pharmacological interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness-based techniques, are reviewed for their effectiveness in symptom management. Further research is essential to advance individualized diagnostic techniques and optimize treatment strategies, ensuring more personalized care for PTSD patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"291 ","pages":"427-468"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144018442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of stress on neuronal cell: Morphological to molecular approach.","authors":"Ishita Bhardwaj, Sippy Singh, Atifa Haseeb Ansari, Swayam Prabha Rai, Durgesh Singh","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.01.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.01.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stress can be characterized as any perceived or actual threat that necessitates compensatory actions to maintain homeostasis. It can alter an organism's behavior over time by permanently altering the composition and functionality of brain circuitry. The amygdala and prefrontal cortex are two interrelated brain regions that have been the focus of initial research on stress and brain structural and functional plasticity, with the hippocampus serving as the entry point for most of this knowledge. Prolonged stress causes significant morphological alterations in important brain regions such as the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. Memory, learning, and emotional regulation are among the cognitive functions that are adversely affected by these changes, including neuronal shrinkage, dendritic retraction, and synaptic malfunction. Stress perturbs the equilibrium of neurotransmitters, neuronal plasticity, and mitochondrial function at the molecular level. On the other hand, chronic stress negatively impacts physiology and can result in neuropsychiatric diseases. Recent molecular research has linked various epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs, to the dysregulation of genes in the impacted brain circuits responsible for the pathophysiology of chronic stress. Numerous disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) including Alzheimer's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Friedreich's ataxia, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease, have been linked to oxidative stress as a possible cause.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"291 ","pages":"469-502"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144036455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Case studies of the migraine aura in the blind or partially sighted.","authors":"Ramiro M Joly-Mascheroni, Alex J Shepherd","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Visual Aura symptoms are particularly intriguing when manifesting in the severely visually impaired. Presented here are eight case reports of the migraine aura experienced by those who are blind or partially sighted. The migraine aura consists of fully reversible neurological symptoms that typically precede the migraine headache by approximately 30 min. The symptoms are commonly visual and include the classic fortification spectra, seeing flashing lights, stars or phosphenes, or experiencing distortions of the visual scene. Non-visual aura symptoms can also be experienced, including pins and needles or numbness on the face and/or limbs, allodynia, speech difficulties, auditory disturbances and distortions of the sense of smell and/or taste. Both visual and non-visual aura symptoms were assessed using an on-line questionnaire. All participants experienced visual symptoms associated with their headache. Six experienced non-visual aura symptoms, which is a higher proportion than usually found when people without visual loss are questioned. Migraine triggers were also assessed. Glare and stress were the most frequently endorsed (by six out of eight), followed by flickering lights, tiredness and hormonal factors (five out of eight). The relative weight or balance of activity in visual, somatosensory and motor cortices is suggested as a possible explanation for the higher rate of non-visual aura symptoms in those who are blind or partially sighted.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"292 ","pages":"143-155"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144132800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Claudio Marcos Queiroz, Laura de Oliveira Koren, Camila Rayane Pereira da Silva, Sidarta Ribeiro, Sérgio Ruschi Bergamachi Silva
{"title":"Chemical diversity, receptor binding affinity, and pharmacology of phytocannabinoids: Insights into neuronal mechanisms.","authors":"Claudio Marcos Queiroz, Laura de Oliveira Koren, Camila Rayane Pereira da Silva, Sidarta Ribeiro, Sérgio Ruschi Bergamachi Silva","doi":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.07.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Comparative studies of phytocannabinoids offer valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of cannabis. While Cannabis sativa can produce over 100 distinct phytocannabinoids, most are present only in trace amounts. This review examines the structural, biochemical, and pharmacological characteristics of five representative phytocannabinoids: cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC), and cannabinol (CBN). We describe their biosynthetic pathways, abiotic transformations, and precursor roles in generating molecular diversity. Chemovar profiles are discussed based on seed bank data and chromatographic analyses of Brazilian-grown cultivars. Our findings suggest that high-CBD chemovars have recently emerged, possibly due to genetic drift from intensive hybridization. To evaluate the clinical relevance of these compounds, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of binding affinities (Ki) for CB1, CB2, and other neuronal receptors. Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC and CBN showed high affinities for CB1 and CB2, while CBG, CBC, and CBD exhibited 10-100 times lower affinities. Statistical analysis confirmed significantly stronger CB1 and CB2 binding for Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC compared to CBD. These results support the hypothesis that non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids primarily act through non-canonical targets such as GPR55 (G Protein-Coupled Receptor 55), TRPV1 (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1), and TRPM8 (Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 8), though affinity data for these receptors remain limited. Finally, we discuss preclinical pharmacological evidence highlighting how subtle structural differences yield distinct physiological effects. Our findings emphasize the need for expanded research into underexplored phytocannabinoids with unique therapeutic potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":20598,"journal":{"name":"Progress in brain research","volume":"296 ","pages":"1-28"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145086701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}