Psychology and wellbeing - Potential New Approach To Treat Cognitive Impairments In Schizophrenia

A new study, published in Biological Psychiatry, reports important evidence for a potential new treatment approach for schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia has three distinct facets, often referred to as "positive" (hallucinations, delusions), "negative" (blunted emotions, reduced capacity for pleasure), and "cognitive" (impairments in attention, memory, and problem-solving) symptoms.

The cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia are the aspect of this disorder most strongly associated with the inability to function socially and at work, due to impairments in attention, memory, and problem-solving.

The medications currently approved to treat schizophrenia block a subclass of dopamine receptors (dopamine D2 receptors). They have limited efficacy in treating the negative and cognitive symptoms of this disorder and they are frequently associated with significant side effects such as diabetes, weight gain, and dysphoria, but profoundly affects motor movement, which may even trigger the onset of Parkinson’s disease,” according to Bita Moghaddam, the corresponding author on the study.

"Multidisciplinary work has led to the emergence of the glutamate system as a promising therapeutic target for [the] treatment of schizophrenia," says Moghaddam.

Abnormal function of brain circuits that utilize glutamate as a chemical messenger, particularly in brain regions including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, has been implicated in the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia.

The glutamate-related circuit dysfunction associated with schizophrenia may be modeled, to a meaningful extent, by blocking the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptor.

The authors now report that by administering in rats a drug that stimulates another type of glutamate receptor they can normalize abnormalities in prefrontal cortical function produced by blocking the NMDA glutamate receptor.

In other words, CDPPB appears to "treat" an abnormality in brain function that may resemble aspects of schizophrenia.

Although the authors acknowledge that much more research is needed to evaluate the clinical impact of this treatment approach, this study indicates a "promising therapeutic potential" that could ultimately result in making improved treatments available to patients struggling with this illness.

Adapted from Elsevier and The Tartan.

Also see:

What Is Schizophrenia?

Study Challenges Rush To Medicate Schizophrenia

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