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Neurotransmitters in Neural Circuits and Neurological Diseases
Amir Gholami1, Keywan Mortezaee2
1Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj 6618634683, Iran.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
|September 17, 2025
Summary
Neurotransmitter imbalances in neural circuits cause movement and behavioral disorders like Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Understanding these circuits aids in developing new treatments for neurological diseases.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Movement and behavioral disorders stem from neurotransmitter receptor/ligand imbalances.
- Neural circuit involvement in neurological diseases remains complex and debated.
- Overlapping circuits complicate the understanding of some neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify neurotransmitter activities within neural circuits.
- To map these mechanisms for novel drug development and treatment strategies.
- To elucidate the pathophysiology of basal ganglia and limbic-related diseases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of neural circuits implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD), schizophrenia, Huntington's disease (HD), hemiballismus (HB), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder (BD).
- Examination of neurotransmitter systems including dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate.
- Focus on medium spiny neurons (MSNs), D1/D2 receptors, prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala, and nucleus accumbens.
Main Results:
- PD linked to mesostriatal pathway hypoactivity.
- Schizophrenia associated with mesocortical and mesolimbic circuit disturbances.
- HD characterized by selective loss in the striatal indirect pathway.
- HB and HD involve subthalamus nucleus (STN) deactivation.
- ADHD involves PFC dysregulation and altered PFC-amygdala control.
- Depression and mania in bipolar disorder linked to amygdala and nucleus accumbens dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Neural circuit dysfunctions are central to various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
- Specific pathway hypoactivity or hyperactivity correlates with distinct disease states.
- Targeting these neural circuits offers potential therapeutic avenues for complex brain disorders.
Keywords:
amygdaladeep brain stimulation (DBS)dopaminegamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)glutamate (Glu)limbicprefrontal cortex (PFC)More Related Videos
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