Pineal gland: structural variants and their role in neurological and psychiatric disorders

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Abstract

The pineal gland is a small and poorly studied neuroendocrine gland located in the epithalamus. There is growing interest in the pineal gland due to its role in regulating human biological rhythms, which is associated with melatonin production, and its close neuroendocrine link between the brain's hormonal and neurally mediated activity. The paper examines the anatomical and physiological features of the pineal gland, its structural variations, and the role of the melatonin it produces in the pathogenesis of several mental and neurological disorders.

About the authors

Anastasia V. Shilova

V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology

Author for correspondence.
Email: stasya.parf@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5413-9460

radiologist

Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

Natalia I. Ananyeva

V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology; Saint Petersburg State University

Email: ananieva_n@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7087-0437

D. Sci. (Med.), Professor, Head, Department of clinical and laboratory diagnostics, neurophysiology and neuroimaging research, Professor, Scientific, clinical and educational center "Radiological Diagnostics and Nuclear Medicine", Institute of High Medical Technologies

Russian Federation, St. Petersburg; St. Petersburg

Natalia Yu. Safonova

V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology

Email: astarta10@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5847-4936

Cand. Sci. (Med.), senior researcher, Department of neuroimaging studies

Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

Larisa V. Lukina

V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology

Email: larisalu@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8500-7268
SPIN-code: 4693-5577
Scopus Author ID: 16520904200

Cand. Sci. (Med.), senior researcher, Head, Department of neuroimaging studies

Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

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Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
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1. JATS XML
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2. Fig. 1. Brain MRI, FIESTA sequence. Midline sagittal section. Pineal gland is of normal shape and size.

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3. Fig. 2. Brain MRI, FIESTA sequence. Midline sagittal section. Pineal gland is of normal size, with small cysts in its structure.

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4. Fig. 3. Brain MRI, FIESTA sequence. Midline sagittal section. Pineal cyst over 10 mm in size, the cyst contains a protein mixture.

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Copyright (c) 2022 Shilova A.V., Ananyeva N.I., Safonova N.Y., Lukina L.V.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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