Yingying Zhang, Haoran Xing, Li Kang, Mier Li, Luanmei Ding, Haiqiang Zhao, Liguo Zhou, Tianhao Bao
{"title":"NMDA receptor modulators - d-amino acids' pathophysiological roles and therapeutic potential in schizophrenia.","authors":"Yingying Zhang, Haoran Xing, Li Kang, Mier Li, Luanmei Ding, Haiqiang Zhao, Liguo Zhou, Tianhao Bao","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2026-0095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schizophrenia (SCZ) is widely considered to be closely associated with n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction. As important modulators of NMDAR, abnormalities in d-amino acid levels and their metabolic pathways may play a critical role in the pathophysiology of SCZ. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in d-amino acid-related indicators in the plasma and brain tissue of patients with SCZ are associated with disease progression. Monitoring blood concentrations of d-amino acids may therefore provide novel peripheral biomarkers for the auxiliary diagnosis of schizophrenia. Although direct activation of NMDAR has not yielded satisfactory therapeutic outcomes, preliminary progress has been made by modulating its co-agonist sites for glycine and d-serine. d-serine, d-aspartate, and d-cysteine, as NMDAR agonists, represent potential adjunctive therapeutic strategies for schizophrenia. In contrast, d-cycloserine, a partial NMDAR agonist, has demonstrated mixed clinical efficacy in the treatment of schizophrenia. Furthermore, an alternative strategy for enhancing NMDAR function is the inhibition of d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO). Although a variety of DAAO inhibitors have been developed for the treatment of schizophrenia, most of these agents have not yet entered clinical application. Importantly, whether DAAO inhibition can improve therapeutic outcomes in SCZ by increasing d-amino acid levels remains to be further validated. Future research still requires higher-quality preclinical studies and multicenter clinical trials with longer follow-up periods to further elucidate the efficacy, safety, and potential value of peripheral biomarkers associated with d-amino acid-based interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148622246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Grazia Ferraro, Adrien Stanley, Pellegrino Lippiello, Silvia Pascarella, Luisa Speranza, Mariateresa Ricci, Floriana Volpicelli, Sergio Chieffi, Maria Concetta Miniaci
{"title":"Insights into the blood-brain barrier in mental health disorders: from experimental models to clinical findings.","authors":"Maria Grazia Ferraro, Adrien Stanley, Pellegrino Lippiello, Silvia Pascarella, Luisa Speranza, Mariateresa Ricci, Floriana Volpicelli, Sergio Chieffi, Maria Concetta Miniaci","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2026-0085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is recognized as a protective interface that maintains neural homeostasis. Specifically, it blocks the entrance of potentially harmful agents and controls the molecular traffic between the circulatory system and the central nervous system. Emerging evidence from preclinical models and clinical studies indicates that alterations in the BBB's permeability and transport processes contribute to the pathophysiology of several mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Specifically, we examine whether BBB disruption contributes to the onset and progression of psychiatric conditions, whether psychiatric pathology itself promotes barrier dysfunction, or whether these processes interact in a self-perpetuating cycle. By providing a translational perspective that bridges experimental models and clinical observations, this review provides a comprehensive and dynamic perspective on its role in mental health. Understanding these mechanisms may open new avenues for therapeutic strategies focused on preserving or restoring barrier integrity as a means of preventing or mitigating psychiatric disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148585572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multisensory integration: important issue to understand cognitive functions of the lateral prefrontal cortex.","authors":"Mengyue Wang, Shintaro Funahashi","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2026-0076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) receives visual, auditory, and somatosensory information and has extensive local neural connections across different sensory regions. Therefore, this cortical area is likely an ideal site for investigating the neural mechanisms of multisensory integration and for understanding how such integration contributes to various cognitive functions. However, it has been shown that the LPFC is functionally heterogeneous and compartmentalized with respect to different sensory modalities and that each sensory area exhibits topographic representation of sensory information. Human neuroimaging studies indicate that although multiple sensory modalities are integrated in domain-general regions of the prefrontal cortex, each sensory modality is primarily processed within functionally segregated networks. These domain-general regions largely correspond to visual areas, whereas modality-specific regions are located adjacent to them. This organization suggests that each sensory modality is mainly processed by distinct functional networks in the prefrontal cortex. Despite the importance of multisensory integration for understanding prefrontal functions, relatively few studies have been conducted, with most focusing audio-visual integration in vocal communication. This limitation is partly due to the difficulty of activating prefrontal neurons using simple sensory stimuli and behavioral tasks, as well as the limitation of experimental data for computational approach and experimental techniques for investigating activities under multimodal conditions. Recently, several novel multisensory technologies have been developed, enabling the investigation of multisensory integration under conditions close to natural environments. These approaches are expected to advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying multisensory integration in the prefrontal cortex.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148521427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jaromir Myslivecek, Zuzana Bacova, Katerina Janisova, Jan Bakos
{"title":"Autism spectrum disorder: the interaction between dopaminergic and cholinergic systems in animal models.","authors":"Jaromir Myslivecek, Zuzana Bacova, Katerina Janisova, Jan Bakos","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2026-0039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dysregulation of neurotransmitter systems, particularly dopaminergic and cholinergic pathways, is implicated in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is characterized by social communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors, including early-onset motor stereotypies. Investigating neurotransmitter alterations in ASD is challenging, but advances in imaging, postmortem analyses, and animal models have revealed dysfunctions in glutamatergic, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic, dopaminergic, and cholinergic systems. Rodent models, including genetic and environmentally induced paradigms, reliably recapitulate autistic-like motor behavior and provide insight into underlying neural mechanisms. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies reveal heterogeneity among midbrain dopaminergic neurons, emphasizing their diverse roles in ASD pathology. This review aims to synthesize current knowledge on dopaminergic and cholinergic system alterations in ASD-related brain regions and their contribution to early motor and repetitive behavioral phenotypes. Important questions remain about the long-term effects of pharmacological manipulation of cholinergic and dopaminergic receptors, as most studies focus on acute effects. This also suggests a need to investigate the differentiation of dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons during early brain development. Understanding crosstalk between dopaminergic and cholinergic pathways offers promising potential for elucidating ASD etiology and developing targeted interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148425880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qiongyan Tang, Minmin Xu, Xuemei Xiao, Jing Cao, Weimin Yang
{"title":"Emerging mechanisms and targeted therapy of PANoptosis in neurological diseases.","authors":"Qiongyan Tang, Minmin Xu, Xuemei Xiao, Jing Cao, Weimin Yang","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2026-0062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>PANoptosis is a distinct inflammatory and lytic cell death pathway, orchestrated by the PANoptosome and executed through caspases and receptor-interacting protein kinases (RIPKs). Unlike other forms of programmed cell death, PANoptosis integrates components from multiple death signaling cascades. To date, several PANoptosome complexes - such as those nucleated by ZBP1, AIM2, RIPK1, and NLRP12 - have been characterized. These supramolecular assemblies form via domain-domain interactions upon detection of pathogen-associated or damage-associated signals. By eliminating infected and compromised cells, this coordinated pathway helps maintain tissue homeostasis, while its synchronized release of inflammatory cytokines and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) enhances innate immune responses, resulting in more effective pathogen clearance compared to any single cell death mechanism. Growing evidence underscores the relevance of PANoptosis across a spectrum of pathological conditions, including neurological disorders, infections, inflammatory diseases, cancer, and homeostatic imbalances, often mediated by PANoptosis-associated proteins. In neurological contexts - such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and traumatic brain injury - PANoptosis activation correlates with disease progression and prognosis, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. In this review, we systematically outline the molecular foundations of PANoptosis, examine its role in neurological diseases, and summarize current pharmacological and methodological strategies for its modulation. A deeper understanding of PANoptosis may inform the identification of novel therapeutic targets for neurological disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148425856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Role of Toll-like receptors and oral-gut-brain axis in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.","authors":"Erfan Sabouri, Tara Shahmoradi, Nazanin Zahra Keshvari, Pegah Khodaee, Kiarash Saleki, Nima Rezaei","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2026-0064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The oral-gut-brain axis is a path connecting the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system (CNS). The gut microbiota influences the immune system, metabolism, and nerve cells through the production of neurotransmitters and microbial metabolites that can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The interplay between neuroinflammation and altered oral and gut microbiota is a bidirectional complex path modulated by inflammatory mediators. Recent studies suggest a potential role for Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways in the induction of neuroinflammation via the oral-gut-brain axis. As neuroinflammation is one of the key elements in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, this review was conducted to reflect on the pathophysiological pathways and clinical evidence on the role of TLR and inflammasome signaling pathways via oral-gut-brain axis in neurodegenerative diseases such as cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and Autism spectrum disorders. Because the contributing factors have not been fully understood yet, further studies could help provide novel therapeutic opportunities.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148363269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chenyu Li, Yan Yu, Yan Li, Qianxi Li, Yuping Wang, Xinxin Li, Zixuan Guo, Yumei Chen, Jinghua Qian, Xin Zhang
{"title":"The potential mechanisms of exercise-regulated mechanically sensitive ion channels in promoting spinal cord injury repair: a hypothesis-driven narrative review.","authors":"Chenyu Li, Yan Yu, Yan Li, Qianxi Li, Yuping Wang, Xinxin Li, Zixuan Guo, Yumei Chen, Jinghua Qian, Xin Zhang","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0048","DOIUrl":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exercise training is a vital component of rehabilitation for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its mechanisms of action remain unclear, which severely limits the development and implementation of precise exercise prescriptions for SCI. In this article, we propose a core hypothesis: mechanical stimulation generated by exercise is converted into key biological signals that regulate SCI repair through the activation of mechanosensitive channels (MSCs). To test this hypothesis, we adopt a narrative review approach to systematically integrate current evidence on MSCs including Piezo1, TRAAK/TREK-1, and TRPC1 in the contexts of neuroplasticity, bone and muscle homeostasis, and inflammatory responses. Based on this evidence, we construct a mechanistic framework linking specific MSCs to exercise-induced functional benefits, revealing the potential molecular logic by which exercise promotes spinal cord injury repair. As a hypothesis-driven narrative review, this article not only provides a theoretical foundation for developing quantifiable, personalized exercise prescriptions for SCI rehabilitation, but also outlines several testable research directions to facilitate experimental validation and clinical translation of the proposed hypothesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148347032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Behavioral, neural and neurochemical basis of effort-related decision making.","authors":"Wolfgang Hauber","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2026-0030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2026-0030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effort-based decision-making refers to the process by which humans and animals choose between competing courses of action by weighing expected costs, in terms of effort, against anticipated benefits such as food reward. Although this topic has been the focus of extensive research, the behavioral, neural, and neurochemical mechanisms underlying effort-based decision-making are incompletely understood. In this review, I address these issues by focusing primarily on neurobiological studies in rodents. Using a broad range of behavioral tasks, the studies reviewed here point to a complex neural circuit underlying effort-based decision making. Key components of this circuit include the anterior cingulate cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, the basolateral amygdala, the nucleus accumbens core and the ventral pallidum. Many of these studies do not allow for a clear dissociation of specialized roles for these regions, e.g., whether they encode effort, reward, or both. Instead, recent evidence suggests that effort-based decision making may depend on the coordinated activity across components of this neural circuit through which information from diverse neural sources is integrated in parallel. Multiple neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, as for instance, dopamine, noradrenaline, adenosine and ghrelin modulate the activity of this neural network. They likely act in concert to adapt the willingness to expend effort according to the organism's actual physiological state, the presence of environmental stimuli and the nature of available rewards, thereby supporting adaptive effort-related decision making. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the neural and neurochemical bases of motivational dysfunctions observed in disorders such as depression and apathy.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148310035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marjan Falahati, Kiana Orangi, Alireza Shaabanpoor Haghighi, Negin Pouroushaninia, Nafise Niknam, Sara Soltani, Parastoo Radnia, Melika Arab Bafrani, Shabnam Shirdel, Mohammad Hadi Aarabi
{"title":"Microstructural alterations of the amygdala in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders: insights from diffusion tensor imaging.","authors":"Marjan Falahati, Kiana Orangi, Alireza Shaabanpoor Haghighi, Negin Pouroushaninia, Nafise Niknam, Sara Soltani, Parastoo Radnia, Melika Arab Bafrani, Shabnam Shirdel, Mohammad Hadi Aarabi","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2025-0083","DOIUrl":"10.1515/revneuro-2025-0083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a valuable method for evaluating microstructural changes in the amygdala associated with neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders. This systematic review examines amygdala microstructural alterations in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple sclerosis (MS) using DTI metrics. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases through August 2025, identifying 4,442 records. After screening and eligibility assessment, 13 studies were included, comprising 1,412 patients and 1,146 healthy controls. Due to sample heterogeneity and lack of standardized effect size measures, meta-analysis was not performed. Across disorders, elevated mean diffusivity (MD) emerged as the most consistent finding, present in 100 % of AD patients and observed in all examined conditions. Reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) was the second most frequent alteration, with 36.6 % of AD patients showing decreased FA. In MS, increased radial diffusivity (RD) was prominent, while longitudinal DLB studies revealed progressive free water (FW) increases. These DTI-based microstructural changes often preceded volumetric atrophy and correlated with clinical severity. Our findings demonstrate that DTI metrics, particularly MD and FA, serve as sensitive markers of amygdala pathology across neurodegenerative diseases and may facilitate early diagnosis, disease monitoring, and differential diagnosis of these conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"289-304"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146259831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The dual role of TRPC channel-mediated dysregulation of calcium signaling in regulating mitophagy in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage.","authors":"Jieqiong Yang, Yan Zou, Xudong Zhao","doi":"10.1515/revneuro-2025-0115","DOIUrl":"10.1515/revneuro-2025-0115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) induces early brain injury (EBI) through mechanisms involving mitochondrial dysfunction and dysregulated calcium signaling. Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels are critical mediators of calcium homeostasis and have emerged as key players in SAH pathophysiology. This review explores the interconnected roles of TRPC channel-mediated calcium dyshomeostasis and mitophagy in EBI. We summarize how mitochondrial damage post-SAH triggers mitophagy via ubiquitin-dependent and -independent pathways, a process with dual effects on neuronal survival. We then detail the dual-phase roles of TRPC subtypes: early neuroprotection via TRPC1/4 and later exacerbation of injury via TRPC3/6/7, linking their activation to vascular dysfunction and inflammation. Crucially, we propose and discuss the mechanistic links through which TRPC-mediated calcium signals may directly regulate mitophagic flux, thereby influencing EBI outcomes. Targeting this TRPC-mitophagy axis with subtype- and temporal-specific strategies holds therapeutic promise for SAH.</p>","PeriodicalId":49623,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in the Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"305-318"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146013110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}