neuroactive

adjective

neu·​ro·​ac·​tive ˌnu̇r-ō-ˈak-tiv How to pronounce neuroactive (audio)
ˌnyu̇r-
: stimulating neural tissue

Examples of neuroactive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Known as a neuroactive steroid, the zuranolone mimics a form of progesterone that the brain naturally produces and whose levels rise significantly during pregnancy. Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023 The Company's chemistry platform is focused on the chemical scaffolds of endogenous or chemically modified synthetic neuroactive steroid compounds that are allosteric modulators of GABAA or N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid or N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Forbes Quant Trader, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021 On the whole, Alpert is encouraged by the many new options on the horizon for treating depression, including magnetic stimulation, neuroactive steroids, ketamine and psychedelic medicines like psilocybin and MDMA. Brianna Randall, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2022 Allopregnanolone is a neuroactive steroid, structurally similar to progesterone, that acts on GABA receptors and is believed to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety by amplifying GABAergic signaling throughout the brain. Husseini Manji, Scientific American, 14 Sep. 2021 To remedy the situation in the meantime, the group came up with a definition for neonatal abstinence syndrome: any baby who is prenatally exposed to any neuroactive substance and exhibits symptoms is diagnosed with NAS. Naseem S. Miller, OrlandoSentinel.com, 17 Oct. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of neuroactive was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near neuroactive

Cite this Entry

“Neuroactive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuroactive. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

neuroactive

adjective
neu·​ro·​ac·​tive ˌn(y)u̇r-ō-ˈak-tiv How to pronounce neuroactive (audio)
: stimulating neural tissue
injected a neuroactive substance into the blood

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