Brain chemical finding could open door to new schizophrenia drugs

New research has linked psychosis with an abnormal relationship between two signalling chemicals in the brain.

Imperial College London News Release

Thursday 30 September 2010

New research has linked psychosis with an abnormal relationship between two signalling chemicals in the brain. The findings, published in tomorrow’s edition of the journal Biological Psychiatry, suggest a new approach to preventing psychotic symptoms, which could lead to better drugs for schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is one of the most common severe mental health conditions. Sufferers experience symptoms of psychosis – an inability to distinguish between reality and imagination – such as hallucinations and delusions. The condition tends to begin in the late teens or twenties, and usually persists for the rest of the sufferer’s life.

Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters carry signals from one nerve cell to another. Research has linked schizophrenia with abnormally high levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in a region of the brain called the striatum. Drugs currently used to treat schizophrenia block the effects of dopamine in the brain. These drugs are not effective for all patients, and can have serious side effects.

The new pilot research, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), provides evidence that high levels of dopamine in people with psychotic symptoms occur as a consequence of changes in another brain chemical, glutamate. Glutamate-releasing cells in a brain region called the hippocampus connect to the striatum and influence the activity of dopamine-releasing cells. Drugs that interfere with glutamate signals in the brain might therefore be able to prevent psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia.

“Schizophrenia is a devastating illness that destroys the lives of people who are afflicted and those around them,” said Dr James Stone of the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, first author of the study. “At the moment, the drugs we have just aren’t adequate. They don’t help everybody, and they don’t stop some of the most debilitating symptoms.”

The researchers carried out brain scans on 16 people with an at-risk mental state for psychosis and 12 healthy volunteers, to measure the levels of glutamate and dopamine. In people with early signs of psychotic symptoms, there was a negative correlation between glutamate levels in the hippocampus and dopamine levels in the striatum area. There was a particularly marked correlation in the subjects who went on to develop psychosis later. There was no correlation in the healthy subjects.

“In healthy volunteers, there’s no clear relationship between glutamate and dopamine, but in people with early signs of psychosis, we see this abnormal relationship,” Dr Stone said. “This suggests that the signalling pathway between the hippocampus and the striatum is dysfunctional, and we might be able to treat this by targeting the glutamate system. If drugs that act on glutamate signalling can prevent psychotic symptoms, it would mean a real shift in the way that people are treated for schizophrenia.

“The next step will be to see if these results are confirmed in a larger group of people. There are already a number of promising drug candidates that interfere with glutamate signalling, so hopefully in a few years we’ll be able to start testing new treatments for people with schizophrenia.”

Professor Chris Kennard, chair of the MRC Neuroscience and Mental Health Board, said:

“Studies like these are helping to unravel the complex mechanisms of psychiatric illness and bring us a step closer to more effective, targeted drugs for patients with schizophrenia. The MRC funds research like this in order to bring scientific findings from the lab bench to patient bedside, more quickly. If we can develop new drugs that prevent psychotic symptoms, it would mean a real benefit for patients with schizophrenia.”

For further information please contact:

Sam Wong
Research Media Officer
Imperial College London
email: sam.wong@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)20 7594 2198
Out of hours duty press officer: +44(0)7803 886 248

Notes to editors

1. J.M. Stone et al. “Altered relationship between hippocampal glutamate levels and striatal dopamine function in subjects at ultra high risk of psychosis.” Biological Psychiatry, 1 October 2010.

2. About the Medical Research Council

For almost 100 years the Medical Research Council has improved the health of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer. Today MRC funded scientists tackle research into the major health challenges of the 21st century.

Website: www.mrc.ac.uk

3. About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health, tackle climate change, develop sustainable sources of energy and address security challenges.

In 2007, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust formed the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre. This unique partnership aims to improve the quality of life of patients and populations by taking new discoveries and translating them into new therapies as quickly as possible.

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