Method We investigated the associations between SSEPs and polymorphisms within candidate genes of the serotonergic, GABAergic as well as the substance P system in subjects at high risk for affective disorders.
In this study, we used macroarrays to investigate the differential gene expression profile induced by SP, particularly of genes which have been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of affective disorders.
The results confirm an involvement of the tachykinins in psychiatric disorders, suggesting there is a generalized impairment of the SP system in the amygdala in mood disorders and schizophrenia rather than this being a disease-related phenomenon.
More recently, the neuropeptide substance P (SP) and its receptor (the neurokinin-1 receptor [NK1R]) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of affective disorders, including depression.