Serotonin and dopamine systems influence one another through networks rather than operating independently. Activity at particular serotonin receptors can change dopamine release or the behaviour of circuits receiving dopamine. This is relevant to antipsychotics that…Continue Reading
Examples include risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine and lurasidone. Some classifications also include D2 partial agonists within the second generation, while others describe them separately. The grouping is therefore useful historically but less precise than naming…Continue Reading
Excitatory signalling increases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will become active under particular conditions. Glutamate contributes through fast ion-channel receptors and slower receptors that modify cell processes. Its effects support ordinary perception, movement, learning…Continue Reading
A receptor profile describes the targets a drug binds to and what it does after binding. Second-generation antipsychotics commonly affect D2 and 5-HT2A receptors, with varying actions at histamine, muscarinic and adrenergic receptors. Some also…Continue Reading
NMDA receptors are glutamate-activated ion channels with distinctive properties, including dependence on co-agonists and the electrical state of the receiving cell. They contribute to synaptic plasticity and the coordination of neural activity. Their role has…Continue Reading
Second-generation antipsychotics can reduce psychotic symptoms, and some have additional evidence for particular mood-related conditions. Effects vary between medicines and individuals. Improvement may involve less distress or preoccupation even when an experience does not disappear…Continue Reading
Synaptic plasticity is the capacity of connections between neurons to change with activity and experience. Glutamate receptors, including NMDA and AMPA receptors, play important roles in several forms of plasticity. These processes support learning and…Continue Reading
GABA is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps regulate the timing and coordination of neural activity. Glutamate can activate GABA-producing interneurons, so reduced activity at an excitatory receptor may sometimes lead to less inhibition elsewhere.…Continue Reading
Glutamate hypotheses propose that altered glutamatergic signalling contributes to schizophrenia-related symptoms and cognitive difficulties. NMDA receptor hypofunction is one influential model, particularly when considered within circuits involving inhibitory interneurons and dopamine regulation. The aim is…Continue Reading
Antipsychotics can reduce the intensity, frequency or impact of hallucinations, delusions and disorganised thinking. Improvement may involve feeling less threatened or less compelled to act on an experience before its content fully changes. Some medicines…Continue Reading