Anxiolytic and antidepressants' effect of Crataegus pinnatifida (Shan Zha): biochemical mechanisms.

Depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the current first-line treatment for depression, but they have pronounced limitations. Traditional Chinese medicine can serve as a safe and effective alternative to conventional drugs, particularly since many herbal remedies have already been approved for human use as food additives, making the transition from bench to bedside more efficient.

Moderation of the transgenerational transference of antenatal stress-induced anxiety.

Maternal stress has debilitating implications for both mother and child, including increased risk for anxiety. The current COVID-19 pandemic escalates these phenomena, thus, urging the need to further explore and validate feasible therapeutic options. Unlike the protracted nature of clinical studies, animal models could offer swift evidence.

The Impact of Chronic Early Administration of Psychostimulants on Brain Expression of BDNF and Other Neuroplasticity-Relevant Proteins.

Frequently, healthy individuals, children, and students are using stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like symptoms or to enhance cognitive capacity, attention and concentration. Methylphenidate, the most common treatment for ADHD, similarly to cocaine, blocks the dopamine reuptake, leading to increase in dopamine level in the synaptic cleft. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and other neuroplasticity-relevant proteins have a major role in cellular plasticity during development and maturation of the brain.

Alterations in brain neurotrophic and glial factors following early age chronic methylphenidate and cocaine administration.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) overdiagnosis and a pharmacological attempt to increase cognitive performance, are the major causes for the frequent (ab)use of psychostimulants in non-ADHD individuals. Methylphenidate is a non-addictive psychostimulant, although its mode of action resembles that of cocaine, a well-known addictive and abused drug. Neuronal- and glial-derived growth factors play a major role in the development, maintenance and survival of neurons in the central nervous system.