In essence, the harmine appears to have qualities desirable for the treatment of affective disorders and behavior; within these is the being an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase, which modifies the serotonin transmission associated with anxiolytic and antidepressant responses. It has also been associated with decreased stress effects, prevents reduced neurotrophic factor derived from the brain (BDNF), as well as increased neurogenesis in rat hippocampus under chronic stress protocols. A study conducted in chronic stress models reported that harmine and amitriptyline decrease depressive symptoms, concluding that harmmine could be used for the treatment of depressive disorders ; other authors found that harmine increases the proliferation of neural progenitor cells, possibly due to DYRK1 inhibition, and it could also contribute to the modulation of synaptic plasticity promoted by stimulation of neurogenesis in vitro.