The Roles of Serotonin in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

• Published in: Cellular and molecular neurobiology Vol. 42; no. 6; pp. 1671 - 1692
• Main Authors: Pourhamzeh, Mahsa, Moravej, Fahimeh Ghasemi, Arabi, Mehrnoosh, Shahriari, Elahe, Mehrabi, Soraya, Ward, Richard, Ahadi, Reza, Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Autism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Central nervous system; Cognition; Gastrointestinal tract; Humans; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - metabolism; Molecular modelling; Mood; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Receptors, Serotonin - metabolism; Reinforcement; Review Paper; Schizophrenia; Serotonin; Serotonin - metabolism; SSRI; Serotonin pathway; 5-HT; Mood Disorders; Nervous System Diseases
• ISSN: 0272-4340; 1573-6830; 1573-6830
• DOI: 10.1007/s10571-021-01064-9

The serotonergic system extends throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the CNS, serotonin (5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine) modulates a broad spectrum of functions, including mood, cognition, anxiety, learning, memory, reward processing, and sleep. These processes are mediated through 5-HT binding to 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs), are classified into seven distinct groups. Deficits in the serotonergic system can result in various pathological conditions, particularly depression, schizophrenia, mood disorders, and autism. In this review, we outlined the complexity of serotonergic modulation of physiologic and pathologic processes. Moreover, we provided experimental and clinical evidence of 5-HT’s involvement in neuropsychiatric disorders and discussed the molecular mechanisms that underlie these illnesses and contribute to the new therapies.