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Related Experiment Videos

Alterations in the cortical serotonergic system in schizophrenia: a postmortem study

E V Gurevich1, J N Joyce

  • 1Christopher Center for Parkinson's Disease Research, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona 85372, USA.

Biological Psychiatry
|October 6, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Schizophrenia may alter the brain's serotonin (5-HT) system, particularly 5-HT2A,C and 5-HT1A receptors in specific cortical areas. Antipsychotic treatment history influences these changes, suggesting a complex role in the disorder.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Previous research linked schizophrenia to altered serotonin (5-HT) systems, but findings were confounded by patient suicide rates.
  • The 5-HT system's role in schizophrenia requires further investigation, especially in non-suicidal patients and considering antipsychotic treatment effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the serotonergic (5-HT) system in the frontal and parietal cortex of non-suicidal schizophrenic patients.
  • To differentiate the effects of schizophrenia from those of antipsychotic medication on 5-HT receptor and transporter densities.

Main Methods:

  • Postmortem brain tissue from 14 cortical areas of aged, chronically hospitalized, non-suicidal schizophrenic patients and age-matched controls were analyzed.
  • Quantification of 5-HT uptake sites, 5-HT2A,C, and 5-HT1A receptor concentrations were performed.

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Main Results:

  • No significant differences in 5-HT uptake sites or innervation markers were found between groups.
  • Decreased 5-HT2A,C receptor concentrations were observed in Brodmann areas 24 and 6 in all schizophrenic subjects.
  • 5-HT2A,C receptors were significantly reduced in schizophrenic patients on antipsychotics, while those off medication showed control levels. Increased 5-HT1A receptor density was noted in specific areas (24, 9a, 44, 6) in schizophrenic subjects, independent of treatment.

Conclusions:

  • The pattern of 5-HT system alterations in schizophrenia is influenced by patient population and antipsychotic treatment history.
  • The study suggests that 5-HT2 receptor regulation may play a role in the mechanism of antipsychotic drugs.