Exploring the Key Targets and Compounds That Manipulate Brain Neurocircuits Against Mental Disorders and Psychiatric

With the development of brain science, modulating neural circuits and brain networks is increasingly being considered a treatment for neurological disorders. Neurological disorders can be precisely alleviated or reversed using optogenetic techniques and analysis of neural circuits, and this also illustrates the shortcomings of traditional pharmacological manners that target single molecular targets, such as GABA receptors with anti-anxiety and 5-HT receptors with antidepressants. While traditional psychotropic drugs are generally developed based on a single molecular target, modulating neural circuits and neural networks by neuropharmacology approaches is a challenge that pharmacology must focus on and cope with in the future.

A recent study in Science (Trieu et al., Science 375, 1177-1182, 2022) has provided a novel insight into the precise regulation of the neural circuit and brain network functions. Small molecular compounds enable the manipulation of brain neurocircuits and networks targeting the enriched molecules or receptors, thereby treating mental diseases. Therefore, we aim to explore the interactions between neural circuits and neuropharmacological approaches to intervene in mental disorders by promoting the translational application between basic and clinical research.

This Research Topic Potential subtopics include but are limited to the following:
• Key molecules or targets, small molecular compounds, and single compounds from natural products regulate brain neurocircuits and networks in neurological brain diseases, such as anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's Disease, and brain injuries.
• Key molecules and compounds that prevent and treat mental disorders or psychiatric comorbidities, such as anxiety-depression-like symptoms within pain and eating disorders, and cognitive impairment within emotional disorders or metabolic disorders, contribute to exploring key nodes that regulate the brain network.
• Models and techniques used in this direction for psychotropic drug screening and neuromodulation techniques for improving brain network structure and functions, which should demonstrate potential molecules or targets that can be applied in pharmacological interventions.

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. We do not accept publication studies carried out with crude extracts or mixtures. Only the use of highly purified, chemically characterized compounds is acceptable. Frontiers reserve the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Keywords: Molecule, Small compound, Neurocircuits, Brain network, Mental disorders, Psychiatric comorbidity, Neuromodulation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.