Schizophrenia: What’s Prefrontal GABA Got to Do with It?

Several lines of investigation have implicated mechanisms involving gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, with apparently reduced GABA synthesis. Neurotransmission through GABA type A (GABA_A) receptors containing α2 subunits contributes to the synchronization of pyramidal-cell activity, and deficient synchronization in schizophrenia patients is thought to impair working memory and cognitive control. These cognitive deficits have, in turn, been associated with impairments in prefrontal cortical function, including altered gamma-band oscillations. In a proof-of-concept, double-blind, 4-week study funded by industry and the National Institute of Mental Health, 15 men with chronic schizophrenia were randomized …