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Relationship between Glutamate Dysfunction and Symptoms and Cognitive Function in Psychosis.
Kate Merritt1, Philip McGuire, Alice Egerton
1Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|December 11, 2013
Summary
Schizophrenia research suggests glutamate abnormalities may cause symptoms. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies link brain glutamate levels to symptom severity, but larger studies are needed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- The glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia links NMDA receptor blockade to psychosis.
- Glutamate system dysfunction is implicated in schizophrenia's psychotic and cognitive symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies on glutamate metabolites, symptoms, and cognition in schizophrenia.
- To explore the relationship between brain glutamate function and symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- Review of 1H-MRS studies investigating glutamatergic metabolites in clinical schizophrenia samples.
- Estimation of in vivo glutamatergic metabolite levels using 1H-MRS.
Main Results:
- Some studies suggest elevated anterior cingulate glutamate function correlates with more severe schizophrenia symptoms.
- In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy can assess brain glutamate in schizophrenia.
Conclusions:
- The glutamatergic system is a key target for novel schizophrenia treatments.
- Further research with larger, symptom-severity-selected patient samples is necessary to clarify glutamate's role.
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