Implications for Early Diagnosis and New Treatment
Strategies
An excess of the brain neurotransmitter glutamate may cause
a transition to psychosis in people who are at risk for schizophrenia, reports
a study from investigators at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC)
published in the current issue of Neuron.
The findings suggest 1) a potential diagnostic tool for
identifying those at risk for schizophrenia and 2) a possible
glutamate-limiting treatment strategy to prevent or slow progression of
schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.