title: Unmet needs in the treatment of schizophrenia: new targets to help different symptom domains.
abstract: Current treatments for schizophrenia, although effective for positive symptoms, have not proven as effective for negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. Additional strategies, such as combining antipsychotics or adding adjunctive agents to antipsychotics, have also yielded disappointing results in both negative and cognitive symptom domains. However, the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction hypothesis, with its focus on the glutamate system's effect on dopamine, can explain the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. Therapeutic targets are being explored that focus on NMDA receptors (eg, glycine, d-serine), glycine reuptake inhibition (such as sarcosine and bitopertin), and, through a different pathway, α-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonism (eg, encenicline).
authors.affiliation: 11 Medical Park Drive, Ste 106, Pomona, NY 10970 citrome@cnsconsultant.com.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Citrome
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D005998:Glycine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D012694:Serine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor / Q000819:agonists
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; D012694:Serine; D005998:Glycine