Cited by 54Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Serotonin regulation of the prefrontal cortex: cognitive relevance and the impact of developmental perturbation

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Sargin, Derya, Jeoung, Ha-Seul, Goodfellow, Nathalie M., Lambe, Evelyn K.·2019·ACS Chemical Neuroscience

Abstract

The prefrontal cortex is essential for both executive function and emotional regulation. The interrelationships among these behavioral domains are increasingly recognized, as well as their sensitivity to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). Prefrontal cortex receives serotonergic inputs from the dorsal and median raphe nuclei and is modulated by multiple subtypes of 5-HT receptor across its layers and cell types. Extremes of serotonergic modulation alter mood regulation in vulnerable individuals, yet the impact of serotonin under more typical physiological parameters remains unclear. In this regard, new tools are permitting a closer examination of the behavioral impact of the serotonin system. Optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons reveal that serotonin has a greater impact on executive function than previously appreciated. Domains that appear sensitive to fluctuations in 5-HT neuronal excitability include patience and cognitive flexibility. This work is broadly consistent with ex vivo research investigating how 5-HT regulates prefrontal cortex and its output projections. A growing literature suggests 5-HT modulation of these prefrontal circuits is unexpectedly flexible to alteration during development by genetic, behavioral, environmental or pharmacological manipulations, with lasting repercussions for cognition and emotional regulation. Here, we review the cellular and circuit mechanisms of prefrontal serotonergic modulation, investigate recent research into the cognitive consequences of the serotonergic system, and probe the lasting consequences of developmental perturbations. Understanding both the complexity of the prefrontal serotonin system and its sensitivity during development are essential to learn more about the vulnerabilities of this system in mood and anxiety disorders and the underappreciated cognitive consequences of these disorders and their treatment.

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Crossref · 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00073

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  • The prefrontal cortex, particularly its ventral and medial regions, exerts top-down modulation of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, influencing emotional regulation, patience, and cognitive flexibility.

    “The prefrontal cortex (PFC), particularly its ventral and medial regions, exerts top-down modulation of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, thereby influencing emotional regulation, patience, and cognitive flexibility (20–22).”

    From Exploring the neurobiological markers of suicidal behaviors in pediatric population: a narrative review (2026) · cites this paper as [21]

    The “Serotonergic modulation of prefrontal cortical circuits” section (page unavailable) describes prefrontal feedback projections that target serotonin neurons and identifies a modulated projection to the dorsal raphe. The paper also links dorsal-raphe serotonin to patience and cognitive flexibility and discusses emotional regulation, but it does not establish the claimed top-down pathway from specifically ventral and medial PFC regions to both dorsal and median raphe nuclei, or show that this pathway produces all three behavioral effects. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Vertes, R. P., and Linley, S. B. (2008) Efferent and afferent connections of the dorsal and median raphe nuclei in the rat, In Serotonin and Sleep: Molecular, Functional and Clinical Aspects (Monti, J. M., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Jacobs, B. L., and Nutt, D. J., Eds.), pp 69-102, Birkhäuser Basel, Basel.
  2. Jones, K. A., Srivastava, D. P., Allen, J. A., Strachan, R. T., Roth, B. L., and Penzes, P. (2009) Rapid modulation of spine morphology by the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor through kalirin-7 signaling, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 106, 19575-19580.
  3. Parks, C. L., Robinson, P. S., Sibille, E., Shenk, T., and Toth, M. (1998) Increased anxiety of mice lacking the serotonin1A receptor, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 95, 10734-10739.

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Authors
Sargin, D., Jeoung, H.-S., Goodfellow, N. M., & Lambe, E. K.
Affiliations
  • University of Calgary (CA)
  • University of Toronto (CA)
Corresponding author
Lambe, Evelyn K.
Venue
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
Published
2019-07-01
Volume
10
Issue
7
Pages
3078-3093
ISSN
1948-7193 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2954437004
Cited by
54
References
187
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 4
FWCI
0.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • ACS Chemical Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • TSpace (University of Toronto) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • Canada Research Chairs
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
serotonin, prefrontal cortex, serotonergic modulation, dorsal raphe nucleus, median raphe nucleus, serotonin receptors, executive function, cognitive flexibility, patience, emotion regulation, developmental perturbation, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, serotonergic neurons
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Receptors, Serotonin, Serotonin, Prefrontal Cortex, Serotonergic Neurons

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