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Related Concept Videos

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Biological Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview01:28

Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview

The term "psychosis" refers to a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. It can manifest as mood disorders, dementia, delirium with psychotic features, substance-induced psychosis with psychotic features, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Among all these disorders, schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, affecting 1% of the worldwide population. Psychotic symptoms in all...
Drug Therapy01:28

Drug Therapy

The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions01:26

Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by a range of symptoms that significantly impact cognition, behavior, and emotional regulation. Among these, the positive symptoms stand out as they involve the addition or exaggeration of normal mental functions, deviating markedly from typical behavior and perception. Hallucinations and delusions are prominent positive symptoms, each profoundly affecting the individual's experience of reality.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
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Published on: September 8, 2021

D-serine and schizophrenia: an update.

Emerson A Nunes1, Erin M MacKenzie, David Rossolatos

  • 1Neurochemical Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
|August 3, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Novel antipsychotic research is exploring D-serine, a glutamate NMDA receptor coagonist, to treat schizophrenia

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Schizophrenia treatment has historically focused on dopamine pathways.
  • Glutamatergic dysfunction, particularly involving NMDA receptors, is implicated in schizophrenia's negative and cognitive symptoms.
  • Conventional antipsychotics are often ineffective for these symptom domains.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence for D-serine's role in schizophrenia.
  • To explore D-serine as a potential therapeutic agent for schizophrenia.
  • To summarize preclinical and clinical findings on D-serine augmentation therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Review of animal models of schizophrenia.
  • Analysis of genetic studies implicating D-serine.
  • Summary of clinical trials using D-serine as an adjunct treatment.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests D-serine levels or activity are altered in schizophrenia.
  • D-serine acts as a coagonist at the glutamate NMDA receptor.
  • Clinical trials indicate potential benefits of D-serine as an add-on therapy.

Conclusions:

  • Facilitating D-serine neurotransmission may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for schizophrenia.
  • Future antipsychotic drug development should consider targeting D-serine pathways or NMDA receptor function.
  • D-serine augmentation may address unmet needs in schizophrenia treatment, particularly for negative and cognitive symptoms.