Serotonin as a modulator of neurogenesis processes in post-traumatic stress disorder

The purpose of this review is to discuss the role of serotonin in the processes of neurogenesis in the hippocampus in post-traumatic stress disorder. Full-text materials were searched in Medline (PubMed) and Scopus databases over the past 15 years. Results. Cognitive impairment that occurs in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with a decrease in the level of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and disruption of the monoaminergic brain systems: catecholamines and serotonin. Animal studies using the Single Prolonged Stress (SPS) protocol confirm PTSD-like symptoms, decreased levels of neurogenesis and serotonin in the hippocampus, and the use of Tph1-/-, Tph2-/-, Tph1/Tph2-/-, TetO-shTph2 models allow us to suggest that serotonin does not play a major role in maintaining the basal level of neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation, but is required to modulate neurogenesis in response to changed conditions (physical activity, enriched environment). Modulation of neurogenesis probably occurs through activation of serotonin receptors located on both NSCs and glial cells, of which 5-HTR1 and 5-HTR2 are of greatest interest. Conclusion: Serotonin modulates the processes of neurogenesis in the hippocampus in response to changing environmental conditions through activation of receptors 5-HTR1 and 5-HTR2