Some believe that glutamatergic models have led to greater understanding of the causes of social and occupational disability in schizophrenia, and thus have provided new targets for remediation and compensation strategies.

In contrast to dopamine, glutamate and NMDA receptors are widely distributed throughout the brain, leading to a concept of “whole brain” dysfunction that involves not only the prefrontal and limbic brain regions but also nontraditional regions, such as the auditory and visual cortices.

As predicted by glutamate models, not only are severe deficits associated with these regions but, thinking “glutamatergically,” also specific types of deficits that would not be suspected on the basis of dopamine theories have been identified.

For more on this topic, see "

Glutamate and Schizophrenia: From Theory to Treatment Implications

," by Daniel C. Javitt, MD, PhD, on which this quiz was based.

Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Quizzes

The glutamate model of schizophrenia proposes that dysfunction will involve which brain regions?

Mini Quiz: Glutamate and Schizophrenia