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Updated: Jun 21, 2025

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Published on: September 8, 2021
NMDAR dysfunction and the regulation of dopaminergic transmission in schizophrenia
Gerard Eric Dwyer1, Erik Johnsen2, Kenneth Hugdahl3
1Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; NORMENT Centre of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Abstract:
A substantial body of evidence implicates dysfunction in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This article illustrates how NMDAR dysfunction may give rise to many of the neurobiological phenomena frequently associated with schizophrenia with a particular focus on how NMDAR dysfunction affects the thalamic reticular nucleus (nRT) and pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg). Furthermore, this article presents a model for schizophrenia illustrating how dysfunction in the nRT may interrupt prefrontal regulation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, and how dysfunction in the PPTg may drive increased, irregular burst firing.
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