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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Neuropeptides and Hormones in Mental Health Disorders
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Neuropeptides and Hormones in Mental Health Disorders

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatric Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 2604

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Susan J. Thomas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
Interests: mental health; depression; hormones; neuropeptides; psychoneuroendocrinology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neuropeptides are a large group of signalling molecules in the central and peripheral nervous systems, often coreleased with neurotransmitters. Neuropeptides connect peripheral organs with the CNS, integrating metabolic signalling into wider brain networks. Therefore, they facilitate communication between the brain and body, orchestrating complex social and behavioural repertoires according to prevailing homeostatic conditions.

Neuropeptides have been linked to the pathophysiology of several mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and conditions involving social impairment. Key neuropeptides linked to mental disorders include neuropeptide Y, oxytocin, corticotrophin-releasing hormone/factor (CRH/CRF), orexin, prolactin, and opioids, and the list continues to grow. Neuropeptide studies show potential for improving the understanding of complex aetiologies of mental disorders and for the development of more targeted treatments.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present recent advances in the growing field of neuropeptide and mental health research. We welcome novel studies and reviews spanning basic and clinical science regarding neuropeptides and their relationship to mental health, including both central and peripheral findings linked to mental disorders.

Dr. Susan J. Thomas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neuropeptide
  • mental disorder
  • oxytocin
  • corticotrophin-releasing hormone
  • orexin, Neuropeptide Y
  • melanocortins
  • galanin
  • substance P

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2255 KiB  
Article
Specific Salivary Neuropeptides Shift Synchronously during Acute Stress in Fire Recruits
by Rebecca Ryznar, Nathan Andrews, Kyle Emery, Michaela Snow, Mark Payton, Francina Towne and Dean Gubler
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(5), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14050492 - 13 May 2024
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Abstract
Once thought of as an immune-privileged site, we now know that the nervous system communicates in a bidirectional manner with the immune system via the neuroimmune axis. Neuropeptides constitute a component of this axis, playing critical roles in the brain and periphery. The [...] Read more.
Once thought of as an immune-privileged site, we now know that the nervous system communicates in a bidirectional manner with the immune system via the neuroimmune axis. Neuropeptides constitute a component of this axis, playing critical roles in the brain and periphery. The function of salivary neuropeptides in the acute stress response is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate salivary neuropeptide levels during acute stress. Salivary samples were collected from fire recruits engaged in a stress training exercise previously shown to induce acute stress, at three separate timepoints during the exercise and levels of oxytocin, neurotensin, Substance P, α-MSH, and β-Endorphin were measured using the Human Neuropeptide 5-Plex Custom Assay Eve Technologies. All neuropeptides increased throughout the acute stress simulation and during the recovery phase. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified one factor contributing to baseline values across five neuropeptides and Pairwise Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis showed positive correlations >0.9 for almost all neuropeptide combinations at the pre-stress timepoint. Further analysis identified negative and positive correlations between past-life trauma and self-assessed hardiness, respectively. Calculated neuropeptide scores showed an overall positive correlation to self-assessed hardiness. Altogether, our results suggest that salivary neuropeptides increase synchronously during acute stress and higher levels correlate with an increase in self-assessed hardiness. Further study is required to determine if interventions designed to enhance neuropeptide activity can increase stress resilience, especially in high-stress occupations such as firefighting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropeptides and Hormones in Mental Health Disorders)
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10 pages, 429 KiB  
Article
Blood Levels of Neuropeptide 26RFa in Relation to Anxiety and Aggressive Behavior in Humans—An Exploratory Study
by Henning Værøy, Saloua Takhlidjt, Yamina Cherifi, Emilie Lahaye, Nicolas Chartrel and Serguei O. Fetissov
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020237 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1549
Abstract
26RFa, also referred to as QRFP, is a hypothalamic neuropeptide mainly known for its role in the regulation of appetite and glucose metabolism. Its possible relevance to emotional regulation is largely unexplored. To address this, in the present exploratory study, we analyzed the [...] Read more.
26RFa, also referred to as QRFP, is a hypothalamic neuropeptide mainly known for its role in the regulation of appetite and glucose metabolism. Its possible relevance to emotional regulation is largely unexplored. To address this, in the present exploratory study, we analyzed the plasma concentrations of 26RFa in humans characterized by different levels of anxiety and aggressive behavior. For this purpose, the study included 13 prison inmates who have committed violent crimes and 19 age-matched healthy men from the general population as controls. Anxiety, depression and aggressive behavior were evaluated in both groups using standard questionnaires. The inmate group was characterized by increased aggression and anxiety compared to the controls. We found that the mean plasma levels of 26RFa did not significantly differ between the inmates and the controls. However, several high outliers were present only in the inmate group. The plasma levels of 26RFa correlated positively with the anxiety scores in all the studied subjects and controls. After removing the high outliers in the inmate group, positive correlations of 26RFa with anxiety and a subscale of hostility in the aggression scale were also recorded in this group. No significant correlations of 26RFa with depression scores or other parameters of aggressive behavior were found. Thus, the present results did not support an involvement of 26RFa in aggressive behavior in humans but pointed to a link between this neuropeptide and anxiety. Nevertheless, considering the exploratory nature of the present study, this conclusion should be verified in a larger cohort, including the clinical degree of anxiety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropeptides and Hormones in Mental Health Disorders)
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