Effects of NMDA receptor antagonists on the developing brain.
This overview describes two effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists that are not strictly speaking toxic: There are no signs that cells are dying. Nevertheless, these antagonists, if applied for prolonged periods in young children, could permanently cripple normal brain function. Disturbing the function of the NMDA channel during development can severely disrupt the wiring of defined neural circuits. It also can disrupt the developmental upregulation of the receptor protein itself and possibly many other molecular components of the synapse.
Constantine-Paton
M
M
Department of Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate