GABA schizophrenia

Lewis, D. A., Volk, D. W. and Hashimoto, T. Selective alterations in prefrontal cortical GABA neurotransmission in schizophrenia a novel target for the treatment of working memory dysfunction. Psychopharmacology 174 143-150,... 

One of the few studies directly identifying an abnormality in dopamine neurotransmitter in schizophrenia demonstrated a lateralised, left hemisphere, elevation in the amygdala (Reynolds, 1983), which added to the evidence for the view of schizophrenia as a left temporal lobe disorder. This elevation is not, however, interpreted as a primary pathology it seems likely that it reflects a dysfunction or dehcit in the neuronal systems controlling dopaminergic activity, and a correlation with diminished levels of a marker for GABA support this interpretation (Reynolds et ah, 1990). 

Buzsaki G, Chrobak JJ (1995) Temporal structiu e in spatially organized neimonal ensembles a role for internem onal networks. Cimr Opin Neurobiol 5 504-510 Carlsson A, Waters N, Holm-Waters S, Tedroff J, Nilsson M, Carlsson ML (2001) Interactions between monoamines, glutamate, and GABA in schizophrenia new evidence. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 41 237-260... 

Woo TU, Whitehead RE, Melchitzky DS, Jewis DA (1998) A subclass of prefrontal GABA axon terminals are selectively altered in schizophrenia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 95 5341-5346 Zhang Y, Perez Velazquez JL, Tian GE, Wu CP, Skinner FK, Caslen PL, Zhang L (1998) Slow oscillations (< 1 Hz) mediated by GABAergic interneuronal networks in rat hippocampus. J Neurosci 18 9256-9268... 

Carlsson A et al. Interactions between monoamines, glutamate, and GABA in schizophrenia new evidence. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2001 41 237-260. 

T.U. (1999) Altered GABA neurotransmission and prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 46 616-616. 

A. Wassef, J. Baker, L. D. Kochan (2003). GABA and schizophrenia a review of basic science and clinical studies. J. Clin. Psychopharmacol. 23 601-640. 

Despite the advent of the atypical antipsychotic agents, efforts continue to identify other adjunctive medications that may improve response to standard treatments. In this context, we note that there is no consistent evidence that BZD monotherapy benefits schizophrenia. Another strategy, however, is the addition of BZDs to an antipsychotic regimen. This pharmacological approach is partially based on the evidence that GABA, which is facilitated by BZDs, inhibits certain dopamine tracts and that these medications may attenuate the dopamine system via a different route ( 339, 340, 341 and 342). 

Experimental studies have demonstrated that the GABA-A receptors have an inhibitory action on the dopaminergic system while the GABA-B receptors have an indirect stimulatory action on these receptors. Thus it would be anticipated that GABA-A receptor agonists might be of some value in the treatment of schizophrenia. Of the drugs available,... 

Deciphering the Disease Process of Schizophrenia The Contribution of Cortical GABA Neurons David A. Lewis and Takanori Hashimoto... 

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