title: Metabolism and Mental Illness.
abstract: Over the past century, overwhelming evidence has emerged pointing to the hypothalamus of the central nervous system (CNS) as a crucial regulator of systemic control of metabolism, including appetite and feeding behavior. Appetite (or hunger) is a fundamental driver of survival, involving complex behaviors governed by various parts of the brain, including the cerebral cortex. Here, we provide an overview of basic metabolic principles affecting the CNS and discuss their relevance to physiological and pathological conditions of higher brain functions. These novel perspectives may well provide new insights into future research strategies to facilitate the development of novel therapies for treating mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Matija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sestan-Pesa
authors.affiliation: Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Electronic address: tamas.horvath@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Tamas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Horvath
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D020738:Leptin; D012701:Serotonin