Cited by 131Schizophrenia research and treatmentTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation StudiesNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Dysfunctional neural plasticity in patients with schizophrenia

Daskalakis, Zafiris J., Christensen, Bruce K., Fitzgerald, Paul B., Chen, Robert·2008·Archives of General Psychiatry

Abstract

CONTEXT: Neural plasticity in the human cortex involves a reorganization of synaptic connections in an effort to adapt to a changing environment. In schizophrenia, dysfunctional neural plasticity has been proposed as a key pathophysiological mechanism. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate neural plasticity in unmedicated and medicated patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy subjects. DESIGN: Neural plasticity can be evaluated from the motor cortex in healthy subjects using transcranial magnetic stimulation through a paradigm known as use-dependent plasticity. This paradigm involves several steps: (1) measuring the spontaneous direction of transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced thumb movements; (2) training subjects to practice thumb movements opposite to this baseline direction for 30 minutes; and (3) measuring the direction of transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced thumb movement after training. Previous experiments have shown that in healthy subjects, posttraining transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced movements occur in a vector commensurate with the practiced movements, which may be associated with time-limited reorganization of motor circuits. SETTING: All of the participants were recruited and evaluated at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen medicated and 6 unmedicated patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy subjects were recruited. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: It was anticipated that patients with schizophrenia would demonstrate attenuated motor reorganization in the direction of training. RESULTS: Both medicated and unmedicated patients with schizophrenia demonstrated significantly reduced motor reorganization compared with healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that in schizophrenia, these deficits in neural plasticity are related to disturbances of gamma-aminobutyric acid, N-methyl-D-aspartate neurotransmission, or dopamine that may potentially account for the aberrant motor performance of these patients.

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Crossref · 10.1001/archpsyc.65.4.378

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  • In chronic schizophrenia patients, deficits in visual cortex and long-term potentiation-like plasticity are reported when probed by transcranial direct current stimulation.

    “In chronic schizophrenia patients, deficits in visual cortex and long-term potentiation-like plasticity are reported when probed by transcranial direct current stimulation (55–58).”

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Authors
Daskalakis, Z. J., Christensen, B. K., Fitzgerald, P. B., & Chen, R.
Affiliations
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
  • University of Toronto (CA)
  • Monash Health (AU)
Venue
Archives of General Psychiatry
Published
2008-04-01
Volume
65
Issue
4
Pages
378
ISSN
0003-990X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2112468165
Cited by
130
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 15
FWCI
4.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Archives of General Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
schizophrenia, neuroplasticity, use-dependent plasticity, motor cortex, motor reorganization, transcranial magnetic stimulation, antipsychotic drugs, GABA, dopamine, motor performance
MeSH terms
Adult, Demography, Electromyography, Female, Humans, Male, Motor Cortex, Neuronal Plasticity, Orientation, Schizophrenia, Teaching, Antipsychotic Agents, Receptors, Dopamine D2, Receptors, GABA, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

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