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Brain Sciences
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Neuropsychopharmacology in Mood Disorders
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Neuropsychopharmacology in Mood Disorders

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropharmacology and Neuropathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 22866

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sheng-Min Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychiatry, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Interests: geriatric psychiatry; Alzheimer’s disease; dementia; neuroimaging; psychopharmacology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite the detrimental effect of mood disorders including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), a large proportion of patients with mood disorder still do not experience sufficient treatment response. Countless novel therapeutic agents were developed for the treatment of MDD and BD. However, the monoamine hypothesis remains one of the most important neurobiologies of MDD, and drugs targeting their transporters and receptors are still considered first-line therapy. Likewise, lithium, “an oldie but a goodie”, is still the most effective pharmacological agent for BD, but its exact mechanism of action has not yet been elucidated. From the other perspective, the recent approval of esketamine has opened a new door for the treatment of MDD. By targeting NMDA receptors rather than monoamine transporters/receptors, esketamine not only showed efficacy in the patients with treatment-resistant MDD, but it also has proven rapid antidepressant effect and overcame the therapeutic lag observed in previous antidepressants. Recent studies repeatedly showed the importance of neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of BD and MDD. With the rise of biomarkers, multiple studies are conducted for enhanced stratification and treatment monitoring in patients with mood disorders. The present edition aims to highlight the research, developmental, and clinical trend of neuropsychopharmacology in mood disorders. Readers will also be given insight into the prospect of neuropsychopharmacology in mood disorders by understanding its past.

Dr. Sheng-Min Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • neuropsychopharmacology
  • mood disorders
  • bipolar disorder
  • major depressive disorder
  • drug
  • pathophysiology
  • mechanism of action

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 291 KiB  
Article
The Patient’s Perspective on the Effects of Intranasal Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression
by Maria Pepe, Giovanni Bartolucci, Ilaria Marcelli, Francesco Pesaresi, Andrea Brugnami, Romina Caso, Alessia Fischetti, Flavia Grisoni, Marianna Mazza, Giovanni Camardese, Marco Di Nicola and Gabriele Sani
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(10), 1494; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13101494 - 22 Oct 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2435
Abstract
The effectiveness of the esketamine nasal spray (ESK-NS) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has been confirmed by real-world studies. Available evidence derived from clinician-rated assessments might differ from patients’ perceptions about the helpfulness of treatments. We aimed to verify the effect of ESK-NS from [...] Read more.
The effectiveness of the esketamine nasal spray (ESK-NS) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has been confirmed by real-world studies. Available evidence derived from clinician-rated assessments might differ from patients’ perceptions about the helpfulness of treatments. We aimed to verify the effect of ESK-NS from patients’ view in 25 TRD patients (56% males, 55.1 ± 10.9 years) treated with ESK-NS (mean dose: 78.4 ± 11.43 mg) for three months and evaluated at different time-points through clinician-rated and self-administered scales, assessing changes in depression, anhedonia, sleep, cognition, suicidality, and anxiety. We observed an overall early improvement that lasted over time (endpoint total score reduction in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, p < 0.001, Beck Depression Inventory, p = 0.003). Patients reported a significant self-rated decrease in anhedonia at two months (Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale, p = 0.04) and in suicide ideation at endpoint (BDI subitem 9, p = 0.039) vs. earlier improvements detected by clinicians (one-month reduction in MADRS subitem 8, p = 0.005, and subitem 10, p = 0.007). These findings confirm the effectiveness of a three-month treatment with ESK-NS in TRD patients, highlighting an overall overlapping response from patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives, although with some differential effects on specific symptoms at given time-points. Including patients’ viewpoints in routine assessments could inform clinical practice, ensuring a better characterization of clinical phenotypes to deliver personalized interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropsychopharmacology in Mood Disorders)
11 pages, 1450 KiB  
Article
Depression Is Associated with the Aberration of Resting State Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity in Patients with Amyloid-Positive Mild Cognitive Impairment
by Sheng-Min Wang, Dong Woo Kang, Yoo Hyun Um, Sunghwan Kim, Chang Uk Lee and Hyun Kook Lim
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(7), 1111; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13071111 - 22 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2286
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia, and a significant number of individuals with MCI progress to develop dementia. Depression is prevalent in MCI patients and has been found to influence the disease progression of MCI. The [...] Read more.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia, and a significant number of individuals with MCI progress to develop dementia. Depression is prevalent in MCI patients and has been found to influence the disease progression of MCI. The default mode network (DMN), a brain network associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and its functional connectivity might be a neurological mechanism linking depression and AD. However, the relationship between depression, DMN functional connectivity, and cerebral beta-amyloid (Aβ) pathology remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate DMN functional connectivity differences in Aβ-positive MCI patients with depression compared to those without depression. A total of 126 Aβ-positive MCI patients were included, with 66 having depression and 60 without depression. The results revealed increased functional connectivity in the anterior DMN in the depression group compared to the non-depression group. The functional connectivity of the anterior DMN positively correlated with depression severity but not with Aβ deposition. Our findings suggest that depression influences DMN functional connectivity in Aβ-positive MCI patients, and the depression-associated DMN functional connectivity aberrance might be an important neural mechanism linking depression, Aβ pathology, and disease progression in the trajectory of AD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropsychopharmacology in Mood Disorders)
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Review

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27 pages, 1067 KiB  
Review
International Trends in Lithium Use for Pharmacotherapy and Clinical Correlates in Bipolar Disorder: A Scoping Review
by Yao Kang Shuy, Sanjana Santharan, Qian Hui Chew and Kang Sim
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(1), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14010102 - 20 Jan 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2698
Abstract
Lithium remains an effective option in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). Thus, we aim to characterize the pharmaco-epidemiological patterns of lithium use internationally over time and elucidate clinical correlates associated with BD using a scoping review, which was conducted using the methodological [...] Read more.
Lithium remains an effective option in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). Thus, we aim to characterize the pharmaco-epidemiological patterns of lithium use internationally over time and elucidate clinical correlates associated with BD using a scoping review, which was conducted using the methodological framework by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). We searched several databases for studies that examined the prescriptions for lithium and clinical associations in BD from inception until December 2023. This review included 55 articles from 1967 to 2023, which collected data from North America (n = 24, 43.6%), Europe (n = 20, 36.4%), and Asia (n = 11, 20.0%). The overall prescription rates ranged from 3.3% to 84% (33.4% before and 30.6% after the median year cutoffs). Over time, there was a decline in lithium use in North America (27.7% before 2010 to 17.1% after 2010) and Europe (36.7% before 2003 to 35.7% after 2003), and a mild increase in Asia (25.0% before 2003 to 26.2% after 2003). Lithium use was associated with specific demographic (e.g., age, male gender) and clinical factors (e.g., lower suicide risk). Overall, we found a trend of declining lithium use internationally, particularly in the West. Specific clinical correlates can support clinical decision-making for continued lithium use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropsychopharmacology in Mood Disorders)
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15 pages, 337 KiB  
Review
Mood Stabilizers of First and Second Generation
by Janusz K. Rybakowski
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(5), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13050741 - 29 Apr 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5541
Abstract
The topic of this narrative review is mood stabilizers. First, the author’s definition of mood-stabilizing drugs is provided. Second, mood-stabilizing drugs meeting this definition that have been employed until now are described. They can be classified into two generations based on the chronology [...] Read more.
The topic of this narrative review is mood stabilizers. First, the author’s definition of mood-stabilizing drugs is provided. Second, mood-stabilizing drugs meeting this definition that have been employed until now are described. They can be classified into two generations based on the chronology of their introduction into the psychiatric armamentarium. First-generation mood stabilizers (FGMSs), such as lithium, valproates, and carbamazepine, were introduced in the 1960s and 1970s. Second-generation mood stabilizers (SGMSs) started in 1995, with a discovery of the mood-stabilizing properties of clozapine. The SGMSs include atypical antipsychotics, such as clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, and risperidone, as well as a new anticonvulsant drug, lamotrigine. Recently, as a candidate for SGMSs, a novel antipsychotic, lurasidone, has been suggested. Several other atypical antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and memantine showed some usefulness in the treatment and prophylaxis of bipolar disorder; however, they do not fully meet the author’s criteria for mood stabilizers. The article presents clinical experiences with mood stabilizers of the first and second generations and with “insufficient” ones. Further, current suggestions for their use in preventing recurrences of bipolar mood disorder are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropsychopharmacology in Mood Disorders)

Other

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15 pages, 1054 KiB  
Systematic Review
Effects of Caffeine on Main Symptoms in Children with ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials
by Giuliana Perrotte, Marina Maria Gonzaga Moreira, Amauri de Vargas Junior, Alvaro Teixeira Filho and João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(9), 1304; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13091304 - 11 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 8884
Abstract
(1) Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically treated with stimulant medications, which may lead to several adverse effects. Recent animal studies have shown that caffeine can improve the symptoms of ADHD. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effect of caffeine [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically treated with stimulant medications, which may lead to several adverse effects. Recent animal studies have shown that caffeine can improve the symptoms of ADHD. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effect of caffeine on ADHD symptoms in children. (2) Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing caffeine with placebo in children, comparing overall symptoms of ADHD, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. (3) Results: We included seven RCTs in the systematic review for qualitative assessment, with 104 patients aged 5 to 15 years. Four of these studies (n = 76) were included in the meta-analysis. After qualitative analysis, four studies indicated no improvement in any of the ADHD symptoms compared with placebo. One study showed improvement in ADHD symptoms based on 1 of 5 scales applied. One study indicated significant improvement in general symptoms, inattention, and hyperactivity. One study indicated improvement in sustained attention but a worsening of impulsivity. In contrast, when using a quantitative analysis of the general symptoms of ADHD, the data showed no significant difference when comparing placebo with caffeine (standardized mean difference −0.12; 95% CI −0.44 to 0.20; p = 0.45; I2 = 0%). (4) Conclusion: overall, the totality of the evidence suggests no significant benefit of caffeine over placebo in the treatment of children with ADHD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropsychopharmacology in Mood Disorders)
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