Neurobiologie der Schizophrenie

Abstract

During recent years improved methods in neuroimaging, molecular biology and genetics contributed to new insights into the neurobiology of schizophrenia. This review summarizes and discusses current findings and their impact on the pathophysiology of the disease. New magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based methods allow investigation of small subregions of the hippocampus and structural and functional connectivity analyses using multimodal imaging approaches. Volume deficits are correlated with MRI spectroscopy based data of the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems and confirm the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia. Due to detailed clinical investigations, the association between brain imaging, symptom dimensions and cognitive deficits are becoming more evident. Genome-wide microarray assessments facilitate more detailed analyses of groups of differentially expressed genes and will advance with the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) and the development of inducible pluripotent stem cells. To date a multitude of new risk genes have been detected due to genome-wide association studies, each with a small effect. Future challenges encompass the identification of their neurobiological function and impact on neuroplastic processes, brain structure and function. Based on such information, the development of innovative risk-based therapy strategies is to be expected.

Oligodendrocytes as A New Therapeutic Target in Schizophrenia: From Histopathological Findings to Neuron-Oligodendrocyte Interaction

“…Oligodendrocytes have glutamatergic n-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and our group showed that NMDA receptor hypofunction after MK-801 treatment of human cell cultures causes oligodendrocyte dysfunction by inducing deficits in glycolysis [51]. MK-801 is a potent NMDA receptor antagonist, and treatment with this class of antagonists represents the most reliable pharmacological model of the cognitive, positive, and negative symptoms of SZ [52,53]. Therefore, NMDAR antibodies, as part of an inflammatory process, may influence oligodendrocyte pathology.…”

Specificity of spiders among fear- and disgust-eliciting arthropods: Spiders are special, but phobics not so much

“…In a survey using the standard Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ), 10.3% out of 3 863 Czech respondents reported very high fear of spiders (scoring 22 or higher on 31-point scale; [ 13 , 14 ]). Arachnophobia, an irrational, uncontrollable fear of spiders, is one of the most common specific animal phobias affecting 2.7–6.1% of general population, women significantly more often than men [ 15 , 16 ]. These negative emotions associated with spiders are even more intriguing since only 0.5% of all spider species represent a real potential threat to humans [ 17 ].…”