BDNF and nervous system disorder: GR-α is widely expressed in neurons within the limbic system, and the neuronal GR-α activated by elevated glucocorticoids during neurological disorders has been reported to attenuate neuronal excitability and neuronal survival through various transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, such as the activation of p53-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis [25], negative feedback regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) [26], and suppression of neurogenesis by inhibiting PI3K-AKT signaling [27].