Glutamate Linked To Severe Schizophrenia Symptoms

New research is suggesting that some of the severe symptoms of schizophrenia, such as auditory hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thinking, may be linked to low levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain.

Researchers in the USA have found that low glutamate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid correlate to severity of symptoms in schizophrenics, while other work has suggested that mutations in glutamate receptors, specifically the NMDA R2D receptor (which was found to be expressed more frequently in untreated patients compared to normal or neuroleptic-treated subjects) may be involved. "These alterations in gene expression are potential indicators of deficits in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission," said Nikolaus Sucher of Children's Hospital in Boston, USA, adding that these deficits may underlie the functional hypoactivity of the frontal lobes which is frequently encountered in schizophrenics. This finding ties in with other studies which show that D-cycloserine, a compound which facilitates NMDA-mediated neurotransmission, can improve frontal lobe performance, motivation and emotional sensitivity in some patients.