Am J Psychiatry 1978; 135:165-173
Copyright © 1978 by American Psychiatric Association
Antipsychotic drugs, neurotransmitters, and schizophrenia
A Carlsson
Inhibition of central dopamine functions appears to be a common basic
property of antipsychotic drugs. The mesolimbic and nigrostriatal portions
of the dopaminergic system are probably the main targets for the mental and
the extrapyramidal actions, respectively, of these drugs. The fact that
dopaminergic hyperfunction induced by amphetamines or dopa may lead to a
disturbance mimicking paranoid schizophrenia lends further support for a
key role of dopamine in mental functions. Although a primary disturbance in
dopamine function in schizophrenia cannot be ruled out, the intimate
relationship between dopaminergic and other neuronal systems must be
emphasized. The possible involvement of other amine, amino acid, or peptide
transmitters in schizophrenia cannot be disregarded.
