Implications of Physical Exercise on Episodic Memory and Anxiety: The Role of the Serotonergic System

The relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction among adolescents in western China: a chain mediating model of anxiety and inhibitory control

This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of anxiety and inhibitory control in the relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. A total of 951 adolescents from western China completed a self-report survey assessing physical activity, anxiety, inhibitory control, and IA. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS software and the Process plug-in. Controlling for age, gender, and only child status, the findings revealed a negative association between physical activity and anxiety, inhibitory control, and IA. Moreover, anxiety were positively correlated with inhibitory control and IA. Additionally, anxiety exhibited a positive association with inhibitory control. Notably, physical activity directly and negatively predicted IA in adolescents, while also indirectly predicting it through anxiety and inhibitory control. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the complex effects of physical activity on IA among adolescents.

The effect of magnesium sulfate on memory and anxiety-like behavior in a rat model: an investigation of its neuronal molecular mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Anxiety is an adaptive response to potentially threatening conditions. Excessive and uncontrolled anxiety responses become nonadaptive and cause anxiety disorders. To better understand the anxiety-modulating effects of Mg sulfate, behavioral test batteries in the assessment of anxiety and learning and memory functions were performed simultaneously over a time period. This study also examines the effects of Mg sulfate compared to diazepam, an anxiolytic drug with amnestic effects on anxiety-like behavior, as well as possible oxidative-nitrosative stress and hippocampal changes in male rats exposed to predator odor.

METHODS

Young adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were used. The rats were assessed using a comprehensive neurobehavioral test battery consisting of novel object recognition, open field, and successive alleys tasks. Anxiety was induced by cat odor, and diazepam and Mg were used as study drugs. Of the frontal cortex and hippocampus, the state of total oxidant and antioxidant and NO levels and histological examination of hippocampal CA1, CA2, CA3, and DG regions were performed.

RESULTS

Diazepam- and Mg-treated rats showed an improvement in anxiety-related behavior to predator odors. Furthermore, Mg treatment alleviated some of the increasing oxidative stress in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of rats, while diazepam treatment in particular enhanced hippocampal oxidant and antioxidant activity. In addition, brain NO increase induced by animal odor exposure or diazepam treatment was ameliorated by Mg administration.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our work suggests that Mg had a partial anxiolytic effect on anxiety-like behaviors, although not as much as diazepam, and this effect varied depending on the dose. Mg treatment might counteract increased oxidative stress and elevated NO levels in the brain.

Influence of β-catenin signaling on neurogenesis in neuropsychiatric disorders: Anxiety and depression

It has been proven that stress, mainly in the early years of life, can lead to anxiety and mood problems. Current treatments for psychiatric disorders are not enough, and some of them show intolerable side effects, emphasizing the urgent need for new treatment targets. Hence, a better understanding of the different brain networks, which are involved in the response to anxiety and depression, may evoke treatments with more specific targets. One of these targets is β-catenin that regulates brain circuits. β-Catenin has a dual response toward stress, which may influence coping or vulnerability to stress response. Indeed, β-catenin signaling involves several processes such as inflammation-directed brain repair, inflammation-induced brain damage, and neurogenesis. Interestingly, β-catenin reduction is accompanied by low neurogenesis, which leads to anxiety and depression. However, in another state, this reduction activates a compensatory mechanism that enhances neurogenesis to protect against depression but may precipitate anxiety. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanism of β-catenin could enhance our knowledge about anxiety and depression's pathophysiology, potentially improving clinical results by targeting it. Herein, the different states of β-catenin were discussed, shedding light on possible drugs that showed action on psychiatric disorders through β-catenin.

Pharmacological Mechanism of Herbal Interventions for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a neuropsychiatric disease characterized by an abundance of undesired ideas and thoughts associated with recurrent episodes of mania or hypomania and depression. Alterations in the circuits, including the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and limbic system, regulate mood and cause variation in several crucial neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glutamate. Imbalances in dopamine levels have been implicated in the manic phase, while variance in serotonin is linked to depressive episodes. The precise pathophysiology of bipolar disorder is still unknown. Though different treatments are available, like lithium, risperidone, valproic acid, etc., which are widely used, they come with certain limitations, including narrow therapeutic index, hypothyroidism, weight gain, extrapyramidal symptoms, etc. The interest in herbal- based treatments for bipolar disorder arises from the desire for alternative, potentially more natural, and holistic approaches with fewer side effects. The current review focuses on the potential effects of herbal drugs and their derivatives to alleviate the symptoms of bipolar disorder.