N-methyl d-aspartate receptor hypofunction reduces steady state visual evoked potentials.
Journal of neurophysiology July 14, 2025 Alexander Schielke, Bart Krekelberg
Coordinated neural activity is impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders. Steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs), large-scale rhythmic brain responses to flickering light, are reduced in people with schizophrenia. Hypofunction of the N-methyl d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) may contribute to schizophrenia symptoms. In nonhuman primates with permanent electrode arrays in primary visual cortex, a subanesthetic dose of ketamine (an NMDAR antagonist) induced NMDAR hypofunction and substantially reduced SSVEPs across frequencies from 5 to 40 Hz, mirroring findings in schizophrenia. These results suggest NMDAR hypofunction can account for altered coordinated activity and support its role in schizophrenia symptoms.