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moodmodulators

Moodmodulators are substances or interventions that influence mood. In clinical psychiatry, the term often refers to pharmacological compounds that stabilize, elevate, or regulate mood, particularly in bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. Mood modulators can include antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anxiolytics, as well as certain antipsychotics used for mood symptoms. They may act on monoaminergic systems (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine), GABA, glutamate, or neurotrophic pathways, among others, and may alter neural plasticity and stress response.

Common classes and examples:

- Antidepressants: SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline), SNRIs (venlafaxine), TCAs (amitriptyline), MAO inhibitors (phenelzine).

- Mood stabilizers: lithium, valproate, carbamazepine, lamotrigine.

- Atypical antipsychotics with mood-stabilizing properties: quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole.

- Anxiolytics: benzodiazepines (diazepam), buspirone.

Nonpharmacologic mood modulators include light therapy for seasonal affective disorder, regular physical activity, sleep optimization, psychotherapy,

Risks and considerations: side effects, interaction with other medications, and the potential for mood destabilization or

and
mindfulness-based
approaches.
Ketamine
and
its
enantiomer
esketamine,
acting
on
glutamatergic
signaling,
are
studied
for
rapid
antidepressant
effects
and
mood
normalization.
Psychedelic-assisted
therapies
are
an
area
of
active
research
as
potential
mood
modulators.
dependence.
The
choice
of
mood-modulating
treatment
depends
on
diagnosis,
symptom
profile,
comorbidities,
and
patient
preference.