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Role of excitatory amino acid neurotransmission in synaptic plasticity and pathology. An integrative hypothesis concerning the pathogenesis and evolutionary advantages of schizophrenia-related genes

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Book cover Neurotransmitter Actions and Interactions

Part of the book series: Journal of Neural Transmission ((NEURAL SUPPL,volume 29))

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Summary

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are involved in long-term potentiation, burst firing and the generation of patterned activity in neuronal networks; in use-dependent stabilization of synaptic connectivity in developing animals; in some forms of learning in mature animals; and in pathologies as found in brain aging. A number of these characteristics are reminiscent of several manifestations of schizophrenia and therefore we present the hypothesis that one of the genes modified in schizophrenia is directly or indirectly linked to the control of excitatory neurotransmission; possibly the normal switching on of the expression of the adult form of the NMDA receptor is delayed. Alternatively the adult form of the NMDA receptor is altered, resulting in inappropriate functioning of this receptor. The delayed or faulty expression of the adult form of the NMDA receptor, in turn, should confer a series of evolutionary advantages including protection against aging-associated brain pathologies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    P. Etienne M.D.

  2. Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Irvine, California, USA

    M. Baudry

  3. Allan Memorial Institute, 1033, Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Qc, H3A 1A1, Canada

    P. Etienne M.D.

Authors
  1. P. Etienne M.D.
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  2. M. Baudry
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Moussa B. H. Youdim

  2. Biochemistry Department, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

    Keith F. Tipton

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag

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Etienne, P., Baudry, M. (1990). Role of excitatory amino acid neurotransmission in synaptic plasticity and pathology. An integrative hypothesis concerning the pathogenesis and evolutionary advantages of schizophrenia-related genes. In: Youdim, M.B.H., Tipton, K.F. (eds) Neurotransmitter Actions and Interactions. Journal of Neural Transmission, vol 29. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9050-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9050-0_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-82142-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-9050-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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