|
|
Upregulation of Dopamine Receptors Noted in Patients With Schizophrenia
TORONTO (Reuters Health) Jun 29 - Dopamine agonist therapy might improve cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia, according to a presentation here at the 48th annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine in Toronto, Canada. Using positron emission tomography and a new radioactive tracer, [11C]NNC112, which had never before been used to study schizophrenia, Dr. Anissa F. Abi-Dargham and associates, from Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, found that 16 drug-free schizophrenics had an elevated number of D1 receptors in the frontal lobe compared with 14 controls. Patients with the most elevated levels had the worst working memory function, Dr. Abi-Dargham told meeting attendees. "The way we understand it is that patients with schizophrenia have very little dopamine in their brain so the receptors try to compensate. But it is not doing a good enough job because there is still some effect on working memory," Dr. Abi-Dargham told Reuters Health. "Hopefully this will push pharmaceutical companies to develop selective treatments that will try to decrease this receptor," Dr. Abi-Dargham said. "We feel a D1 agonist would be very beneficial to patients with schizophrenia to deal with the cognitive deficits that they have."
Additional Material The Role of Dopamine Receptors in Schizophrenia Increased
Baseline Occupancy of D2 Receptors by Dopamine in Schizophrenia by Aberrant
Behavioral Effects of a Dopamine D1 Receptor Antagonist and Agonist in Monkeys:
Evidence of Uncharted Dopamine D1 Receptor Actions by Tutorial: Current
Therapies for the Treatment of Psychotic Disorders
|
|
Opinions expressed in this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of NAMI Santa Cruz County, NAMI California or any affiliated organizations. We attempt to present a balanced perspective on issues by presenting multiple viewpoints. Copyright 2005 National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Santa Cruz County, All Rights Reserved. FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |
