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Early brain development disruption from NMDA receptor hypofunction: relevance to schizophrenia
Teresa Marie du Bois1, Xu-Feng Huang
1Neuroscience Institute for Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders (NISAD), Australia. tmdb66@uow.edu.au
Brain Research Reviews
|October 4, 2006
Summary
Early disruption of brain development via NMDA receptor antagonists causes lasting behavioral changes in rodents, modeling schizophrenia symptoms. This highlights the role of glutamate system dysfunction in schizophrenia pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Early-life disruptions in brain development can lead to long-term behavioral alterations.
- Glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are crucial for neuronal development and survival.
- Dysfunction in the glutamate system is implicated in schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of early NMDA receptor antagonism on brain development and behavior.
- To establish a rodent model for studying the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Administering NMDA receptor antagonists during early development in rodents.
- Observing neurochemical and behavioral changes post-treatment.
- Analyzing structural and organizational brain changes.
Main Results:
- NMDA receptor antagonist treatment during early development caused neuronal damage and behavioral alterations mimicking schizophrenia in rodents.
- These changes persisted long after drug administration ceased, suggesting permanent alterations.
- NMDA receptor antagonists exacerbate symptoms in schizophrenia patients.
Conclusions:
- Perinatal NMDA receptor antagonist treatment provides a valuable model for schizophrenia research.
- This model supports the neurodevelopmental and NMDA receptor hypofunction hypotheses of schizophrenia.
- Early developmental insults can lead to enduring changes in brain structure and function relevant to psychiatric disorders.
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