Topic: 5-HT transporter

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for higher cognitive tasks, and its ‘malfunction’ is shared across serotonin (5-HT)-related neuropsychiatric disorders and often find its origins during development. Proper cortical development is directed by a sequence of intrinsic ( transcription factors, local placental-derived 5-HT) and extrinsic (instructing 5-HT and catecholaminergic afferents) events. Recently, our group has shown a functional interplay between the 5-HT and catecholaminergic prefrontal projection systems during development leading to a distortion in PFC cytoarchitecture. Lack o

Serotonin (5-HT) plays a prominent role in a range of psychiatric disorders. Besides acting as a neurotransmitter, 5-HT is a neurotrophic factor during brain development, contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Although neglected so far, the maternal 5-HTergic genotype may play a role in the offspring’s brain function and behavior, as both the placenta-derived 5-HT during pregnancy and the maternal care during early childhood. To initiate early intervention in NDDs, we aim to (1) understand the atypical development influenced by maternal 5-HTergic genotype, and (2) investigate if