Synaptic Plasticity in PTSD and associated Comorbidities: The Function and Mechanism for Diagnostics and Therapy

Title:Synaptic Plasticity in PTSD and associated Comorbidities: The Function and Mechanism for Diagnostics and Therapy

Volume: 24 Issue: 34

Author(s): Mei He, Jing-Xiang Wei, Min Mao, Guo-Yan Zhao, Jun-Jie Tang, Shuang Feng, Xiu-Min Lu *Yong-Tang Wang*

Affiliation:

• College of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054,China

• State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042,China

Keywords: Synaptic plasticity, posttraumatic stress disorder, comorbidity, LTP, LTD, glutamatergic ligand-receptor.

Abstract: The studying of synaptic plasticity, the ability of synaptic connections between neurons to be weakened or strengthened and specifically long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), is one of the most active areas of research in neuroscience. The process of synaptic connections playing a crucial role in improving cognitive processes is important to the processing of information in brain. In general, the dysfunction of synaptic plasticity was involved in a wide spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including some neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, synaptic plasticity which is a dysfunction reported in neurodegenerative disorders may also be involved in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety and/or memory disorder developed after experiencing natural disasters, domestic violence or combat-related trauma. In this review, we mainly focus on discussing the biological function and mechanism for diagnostics and therapy of synaptic plasticity in PTSD and associated comorbidities, such as schizophrenia, depression, sleep disturbances and alcohol dependence, and further studying the molecular mechanisms of PTSD with a particular focus on the LTP/LTD, glutamatergic ligand-receptor systems, voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tyrosine kinase B (TrkB). The summarized function and mechanism of synaptic plasticity in PTSD and its comorbidities may help us further understand PTSD and provide insight into novel neuroplasticity modifying for diagnostics and treatment for PTSD.

Cite this article as:

He Mei , Wei Jing-Xiang , Mao Min , Zhao Guo-Yan , Tang Jun-Jie , Feng Shuang , Lu Xiu-Min *, Wang Yong-Tang*, Synaptic Plasticity in PTSD and associated Comorbidities: The Function and Mechanism for Diagnostics and Therapy, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2018; 24 (34) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612824666181120094749