Haiyun Xu

Over the past several decades, monoaminergic system dysfunction has been considered a key factor in the pathophysiology of some mental disorders. However, the therapeutic efficacy of drug therapy based on the monoamine hypothesis is unsatisfactory. In 2008, FDA approved the application of the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of patients with depression. Since then, TMS as a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, has been widely used to treat patients with mental disorders and assess their brain functions. This review article outlined the stimulation modes and parameter settings of TMS, summarized the therapeutic effects of TMS on main mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and synthesized the cellular and molecular mechanisms of its therapeutic effects for the mental disorders mainly based on preclinical research. These mechanisms involve pathophysiological processes such as neurotransmitter expression, neuroinflammation, neurotrophic factor production, oxidative stress, and gene expression related to brain plasticity and apoptosis in the brain. Furthermore, it introduced the emerging applications that combine TMS with other non-invasive neuroimaging techniques to assess brain function, including mapping neural pathways, measuring cortical excitability, and evaluating brain neuroplasticity. These advances have facilitated real-time evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of TMS and optimized its application in treating mental disorders.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness; its symptoms are mainly divided into two dimensions: positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms primarily include hallucinations and delusions, whe...

Extrapyramidal syndrome (EPS) refers to a group of movement disorders resulting from dysfunction of the extrapyramidal system (motor pathways outside the pyramidal tract). Among the various pathogenic factors of EPS, chronic or long-term use of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) is worth special note. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review on the application of phytomedicines in preventing and treating the APDs-induced EPS or EPS-like behaviors by summarizing their therapeutic effects and outlining the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. An advanced search was done using the data bases PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and CNKI, employing the terms “antipsychotics, “ “dopamine, “ “extrapyramidal syndrome, “ “movement disorder”, “herbal, “ “haloperidol, “ “phytomedicine”, and “traditional Chinese medicine”. The Boolean operators “AND”, “OR” were used to combine some of the above terms in the literature search. Except for a few negative reports, the extant clinical research reported beneficial effects of herb medicines on EPS in patients with schizophrenia. Most of all the research reviewed in this article are animal studies, in which herbal medicines prevented or improved the APDs-induced EPS-like behaviors in animal models of EPS. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the observed therapeutic effects involve regulating monoaminergic neurotransmission, alleviating oxidative stress, maintaining mitochondrial function, suppressing neuroinflammation, and modulating the KEAP1/Nrf2 pathway, which regulates redox homeostasis and mitochondrial function and plays a crucial role in regulating neuroinflammation. The results of existing research support the combination of herbal medicines with antipsychotic drugs for the prevention and treatment of EPS in patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease in which repetitive demyelination defeats remyelination and impairs axonal conduction thus resulting in the characteristic disabilities of MS. In searching for new drugs to treat MS, traditional Chinese herbs are gaining increasing attention.Methods: In animal experiments, an animal model of MS was established by administering cuprizone (CPZ, a copper chelator toxic to cell mitochondria) to C57BL/6J male mice. The therapeutic effects of baicalein (BA) were comprehensively investigated by examining its effects on the CPZ induced neuropathological changes and behavioral abnormalities. Moreover, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of BA were explored. The in vitro experiments were done with cultured oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage cells and OLN-93 cell line at various conditions of the absence or presence of CPZ, H₂O_2, and BA. The viability, development, and mitochondrial function of the cultured cells, as well as oxidative stress measures in the cells were analyzed by means of cell biological and biochemical methods.Results: In the in vivo experiments, BA facilitated the recovery of motor and cognitive impairment in CPZ-exposed mice while promoting the remyelination process and inhibiting neuroinflammation in their brains. Underlying these protective effects, BA prevented the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and its downstream antioxidant enzymes (HO-1, NQO1, and SOD2) from over-activation, thereby maintaining the signal pathway in normal levels through its antioxidant actions. The in vitro experiments provided evidence that both CPZ and H₂O₂ delay the development of oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage cells by damaging mitochondria of the cells and resulting in oxidative stress. BA effectively prevented cultured OLs from development delay by scavenging ROS resulting from damaged mitochondria of the cells.Conclusion: These data demonstrate that BA facilitates remyelination and development of OL lineage cells in the MS model of CPZ-exposed mouse by its antioxidant actions thereby encouraging future clinical applications of BA in treating patients with MS.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease. Repetitive demyelination defeats remyelination and impairs axonal conduction thus resulting in the characteristic disabilities of MS. Therefore, reducing demyelination and promoting remyelination are key strategies for the prevention and treatment of MS. In searching for new drugs to treat MS, many traditional Chinese herbs are gaining increasing attention. In the present study, baicalein (BA) was comprehensively investigated, by examining its effects on the cuprizone (CPZ)-induced neuropathological changes and behavioral abnormalities which are reminiscent of the clinical symptoms of MS patients, and exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects. Our in vivo experiments demonstrated that BA facilitates the recovery of motor and cognitive impairment in CPZ-exposed mice while promoting the remyelination process and inhibiting neuroinflammation in their brains. Underlying these protective effects, BA intervention prevented the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and its downstream antioxidant enzymes (HO-1, NQO1, and SOD2) from over activation, thereby maintaining the signal pathway at normal levels through its antioxidant actions. Our in vitro experiments provided evidence that both CPZ and H2O2 delay the development of oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage cells by damaging mitochondria of the cells and resulting in oxidative stress. In the absence of astrocytes and microglia, BA effectively prevented cultured OLs from development delay by scavenging ROS resulted from damaged mitochondria of the cells. The elucidation of these cellular and molecular mechanisms will prompt clinical application of more naturally derived compounds with antioxidant properties to treat patients with MS.

Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) often experience mental and memory disorders with poor outcomes. Coenzyme Q10 can degrade formaldehyde (FA) and improve Alzheimer-related symptoms, but its ability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is limited. This study investigated whether low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) enhances 30 nm Q10 delivery and improve symptoms in AD model mice. Here, 30 nm Q10 was prepared by encapsulating Q10 in liposomes coupled with PEG, creating PEG-Q10@NPs under 30 nm in diameter. Wild-type mice and APPswe/PS1dE9 mice (a familial AD model) received 30 nm Q10 via intraperitoneal injection, or a combination of 30 nm Q10 and LIPUS (50 or 100 100 mW/cm²). Then the mice’s anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors and biochemical index were evaluated. We found that the combination therapy of LIPUS at 100 mW/cm² and 30 nm Q10 was more effective in ameliorating psychosis in AD mice than individual treatments with 30 nm Q10. This effectiveness was linked to higher levels of brain Q10, serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine (DA), along with lower levels of FA and plaques. Especially, excessive FA directly inactivated 5-HT and DA in vitro. The enhanced cellular uptake of Q10 and improved BBB permeability facilitated by LIPUS were confirmed in both cultured cells and wild-type mice. Unexpectedly, LIPUS at the different intensity only partially alleviated anxiety and depression symptoms and memory deficits in AD mice. Hence, this combination therapy of LIPUS and 30 nm Q10 is an innovative strategy for ameliorating mental and cognitive disorders in AD. Graphic Abstract

Fitness to maintain an ideal body shape is becoming increasingly popular among college students. However, it also leads to many mental health issues. This study explores the pathways through which negative body image affects depression in college students. It also examines possible means of implementing depression interventions in college populations through the mediating roles of self-efficacy and physical activity, and the moderating role of social support. The present study employed a convenience sampling method to collect data from 600 university students using the Body Image Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, Physical Activity Scale, General Social Support Scale and Depression Self-Rating Scale. Data analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted using SPSS, M-plus and R software. The result indicate that negative body image is positively correlated with depression. Self-efficacy and physical exercise play a chain mediating role between body image and depression. Additionally, social support moderates the effects of self-efficacy by predicting the pathway through which physical activity effects depression. The study suggest that individuals with a negative body image are more prone to depression and that physical exercise can help alleviate their depressive symptoms. Self-efficacy is an important mediator, and social support moderates adherence to physical exercise. Therefore, attention should be paid to the mental health issues of college students with negative body images.

The manuscript “Insomnia Prevalence and Mental Health Correlates Among 18,646 Users of an Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Website: Archival Real-World Data from the United States, 2017–2019” by Mark Attridge analyzed the archival data fr...