title: Neuropeptide systems and schizophrenia.
abstract: Schizophrenia affects approximately 1% of the world population, and the majority of pharmacologically based treatments for this disorder are ligands that interact with monoaminergic transmission. However, there is a wealth of evidence that various neuropeptides are often co-released with monoamine neurotransmitters, and that ligands acting at neuropeptide receptors modulate monoaminergic transmission as well as schizophrenia-related behaviors in preclinical animal models. Such neuropeptide systems include neurotensin, cholecystokinin, corticotropin releasing factor, neuropeptide Y, oxytocin, opioid peptides, tachykinins, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and orexins. The purpose of this review will be to summarize the existing preclinical and clinical literature on the role of various neuropeptide systems as modulators of schizophrenia-related behaviors, and the potential of targeting these systems for the development of novel antipsychotic medications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, PO Box 871104, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA. alacross@asu.edu
authors.forename: Amber L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: LaCrosse
authors.forename: M Foster
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Olive
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide