Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

High-throughput Flow Cytometry Cell-based Assay to Detect Antibodies to N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptor or Dopamine-2 Receptor in Human Serum
Published on: November 23, 2013
Dopamine-receptor-stimulating autoantibodies: a possible cause of schizophrenia
Abstract:
Schizophrenia shares several genetic features with diseases known to be autoimmune and could therefore be an autoimmune disease itself. Antipsychotic drugs, which are effective in treating the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia, have one property in common--they block dopamine receptors in the central nervous system. This observation has led to the hypothesis that overactivity of dopaminergic pathways is the cause of the psychotic symptoms, but a seeming anomaly is that the turnover of dopamine is not increased in schizophrenia. Dopamine-receptor-stimulating autoantibodies are postulated to cause the dopaminergic hyperactivity, thereby accounting for the anomaly.
More Related Videos
07:25Identification of Dopamine D1-Alpha Receptor Within Rodent Nucleus Accumbens by an Innovative RNA In Situ Detection Technology
Published on: March 27, 2018
05:14Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
Published on: September 8, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
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...
Autoimmune Disorders
Concept and Mechanism of Autoimmune Diseases
The immune system...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Type I Diabetes I: Introduction