Biological Psychiatry presents a special issue (January 1, 2017), "The Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia,” dedicated to recent advances in understanding the role of dopamine signaling in schizophrenia. The issue, organized by Anissa Abi-Dargham, M.D., of Stony Brook University, New York, and a deputy editor of Biological Psychiatry, compiles seven reviews that summarize current knowledge and provide new insights. The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia has been revised numerous times since clinical observations first implicated the neurotransmitter decades ago, and dopamine alterations are some of the most well-established research findings in schizophrenia. "Unlike any other neurobiological hypothesis of the disease, the dopamine hypothesis has confirmatory evidence from in vivo studies in patients and from pharmacological therapies," Dr. Abi-Dargham said. Despite this, researchers have yet to fully understand when and how dopamine alterations arise in the brain, or their relationship with the diversity of symptoms in the disease. "This issue highlights the complexity of the findings in patients with the disorder, and raises the possibility that dopamine alterations can lead to a vast array of consequences on the circuitry, on learning and behavior, that can explain the vast array of symptom clusters," Dr. Abi-Dargham said. The body of work collated in the issue ranges from human studies to animal models. Neuroimaging, genetic, and molecular imaging studies have helped elucidate the regional differences of dopamine dysfunction throughout the brain, and detailed timing of dopamine alterations in relation to development, symptom onset, and other neurobiological alterations in the disease.Login Or Register To Read Full Story