Research has shown that dendritic spines act as hubs for communication between nerve cells and that reductions in spines may contribute to a lack of coordination in activity between brain regions.
This structural abnormality is particularly relevant in schizophrenia, where pyramidal neurons located in layer 3, the principal cell type receiving communication from other brain regions, have fewer dendritic spines.
This structural abnormality is particularly relevant in schizophrenia, where pyramidal neurons located in layer 3, the principal cell type receiving communication from other brain regions, have fewer dendritic spines.
Studying this phenomenon further, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh now provide new insights into the dendritic spine deficits in schizophrenia. Drs. Masayuki Ide and David Lewis studied postmortem brain tissue of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and compared it to tissue from healthy individuals.
"We still have a long way to go to fully understand the neurobiology of schizophrenia. An important step in this process will be to begin to learn what we can about neural structure and chemistry from postmortem brain tissue from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia," commented Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "These studies may help, ultimately, to develop new treatments that attempt to prevent or reverse these disturbances in brain structure associated with schizophrenia."
Dr. Lewis agreed, remarking that "These findings provide a potential basis for novel treatments for schizophrenia, and for preemptive interventions for individuals who are at high risk for the illness."
Source: Eurekalert
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Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms of thought, behavior and social problems.
