ESTROGEN RECEPTOR DYNAMICS AND THEIR ROLE IN NEUROPSYCHIATRIC PATHWAYS

Objective: Growing evidence highlights that disturbances in estrogen and its signaling pathways are implicated across various psychiatric disorders. Estrogens contribute to essential brain functions, including cognition, memory, neurodevelopment, and neuroplasticity, with recent findings emphasizing their neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Method: This review synthesizes findings from cellular, preclinical, and clinical studies examining estrogen receptors in relation to psychiatric disorders, focusing on estrogen receptor activity and signaling. Results: We examine how estrogen signaling influences cognition and neuroprotection by modulating dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic pathways and how disruptions in these mechanisms may contribute to psychiatric illnesses. Novelty: We discuss therapeutic approaches targeting estrogen signaling and propose future directions for novel treatment strategies in psychiatry, highlighting the potential of estrogens as therapeutic agents.