Mechanism for promising schizophrenia treatment revealed

A team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (TN, USA) led by Jeffrey Conn has discovered a novel mechanism by which muscarinic modulators exert antipsychotic-like effects. Current medications for schizophrenia reduce hallucinations and delusions through striatal dopamine receptor blockade. There are, however, issues associated with this method of treatment due to the inadvertent blockade of dopamine receptors in the cerebral cortex, resulting in cognitive difficulties, thus highlighting a need for novel treatment options. In recent years, muscarinic receptors have emerged as a promising option for schizophrenia therapy, despite the fact that the mechanisms underlying this potential route remain poorly understood. Conn...