R S Rodrigues, J B Moreira, J M Mateus, A Barateiro, S L Paulo, S H Vaz, D M Lourenço, F F Ribeiro, R Soares, E Loureiro-Campos, P Bielefeld, A M Sebastião, A Fernandes, L Pinto, C P Fitzsimons, S Xapelli
Chronic stress is a major risk factor for neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) has emerged as a promising target to counteract stress-related disorders given the ability of newborn neurons to facilitate endogenous plasticity. Recent data sheds light on the interaction between cannabinoids and neurotrophic factors underlying the regulation of AHN, with important effects on cognitive plasticity and emotional flexibility. Since physical exercise (PE) is known to enhance neurotrophic factor levels, we hypothesised that PE could engage with cannabinoids to influence AHN and that this would result in beneficial effects under stressful conditions...
March 30, 2024: Translational Psychiatry