Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional Responses

ABSTRACT Of serotonergic nuclei in the central nervous system, mainly the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and median raphe nucleus (MRN) project to the forebrain and midbrain; therefore, these nuclei are involved in emotional/cognitive functions and psychiatric disorders. Researchers have often generaliz...

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Main Authors: Yu Ohmura, Kazuki Nagayasu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-06-01
Series:Neuropsychopharmacology Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/npr2.70015
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author Yu Ohmura
Kazuki Nagayasu
author_facet Yu Ohmura
Kazuki Nagayasu
author_sort Yu Ohmura
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Of serotonergic nuclei in the central nervous system, mainly the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and median raphe nucleus (MRN) project to the forebrain and midbrain; therefore, these nuclei are involved in emotional/cognitive functions and psychiatric disorders. Researchers have often generalized findings from the DRN to represent the functions of the entire serotonergic system, primarily due to the fact that the DRN is the largest serotonergic nucleus and due to the assumption that the serotonergic system operates as a single, cohesive unit. However, recent evidence is challenging this perspective and necessitating a reevaluation. In this brief review, we summarize recent studies demonstrating the functional diversity of the DRN alongside the functional unity of the MRN. These findings suggest that different subpopulations within the serotonergic system may exert opposing effects on emotional functions. Furthermore, this diversity‐aware approach will help settle ongoing debates regarding the serotonin hypothesis of depression, which stems from the difficulty in the application of this approach in humans. We advocate for increased efforts to identify factors associated with these functional subgroups, which could lead to more targeted and effective interventions.
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spelling doaj-art-9f91ee7ef1bb4a188f18bd0425cd42d32025-08-20T03:30:20ZengWileyNeuropsychopharmacology Reports2574-173X2025-06-01452n/an/a10.1002/npr2.70015Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional ResponsesYu Ohmura0Kazuki Nagayasu1Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing (CIBR) Beijing ChinaLaboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University Suita JapanABSTRACT Of serotonergic nuclei in the central nervous system, mainly the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and median raphe nucleus (MRN) project to the forebrain and midbrain; therefore, these nuclei are involved in emotional/cognitive functions and psychiatric disorders. Researchers have often generalized findings from the DRN to represent the functions of the entire serotonergic system, primarily due to the fact that the DRN is the largest serotonergic nucleus and due to the assumption that the serotonergic system operates as a single, cohesive unit. However, recent evidence is challenging this perspective and necessitating a reevaluation. In this brief review, we summarize recent studies demonstrating the functional diversity of the DRN alongside the functional unity of the MRN. These findings suggest that different subpopulations within the serotonergic system may exert opposing effects on emotional functions. Furthermore, this diversity‐aware approach will help settle ongoing debates regarding the serotonin hypothesis of depression, which stems from the difficulty in the application of this approach in humans. We advocate for increased efforts to identify factors associated with these functional subgroups, which could lead to more targeted and effective interventions.https://doi.org/10.1002/npr2.700155‐HTantidepressantsmidbrain raphe
spellingShingle Yu Ohmura
Kazuki Nagayasu
Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional Responses
Neuropsychopharmacology Reports
5‐HT
antidepressants
midbrain raphe
title Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional Responses
title_full Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional Responses
title_fullStr Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional Responses
title_full_unstemmed Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional Responses
title_short Functional Diversity of Serotonin Neurons in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei in Emotional Responses
title_sort functional diversity of serotonin neurons in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei in emotional responses
topic 5‐HT
antidepressants
midbrain raphe
url https://doi.org/10.1002/npr2.70015
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