Behavioral effects glutamate neurotransmission

Attention first turned to glutamatergic systems, with the observation that that phencyclidine (PCP) and similarly acting psychotomimetic compounds induced their unique behavioral effects by blocking neurotransmission at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors (Javitt, 1987 Olney, 1989 Javitt and Zukin, 1991 Coyle, 1996). The ability of these compounds to transiently reproduce the key symptoms of schizophrenia by blocking NMDA receptors led to the concept that symptoms in schizophrenia may reflect the underlying dysfunction or dysregulation of NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission. 

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