EXCITATORY AMINO-ACIDS - IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS RESEARCH

The hyperdopaminergic theory of schizophrenia may account for some typ es of schizophrenia, but schizophrenia with negative symptoms or resul ting in a chronic state of deterioration after repeated relapses canno t be explained by this theory. This minireview first discusses the int eractions between dopamine and excitatory amino acid (EAA) neurons to produce abnormal behavior. Secondly, it dears with the influence of th e psychotropic drugs on EAA, such as the relationship between phencycl idine and the hypoglutamate theory, the involvement of EAA in behavior al sensitization induced by amphetamines, the interactions between ant ipsychotic, antidepressant and antianxiety drugs and EAA, considering the possibility of developing newer psychotropic drugs related with EA A. Finally, glutamate receptors measured in postmortem schizophrenic b rains are tabulated and the bases of the hypoglutamate hypothesis are discussed.