N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor availability in First-Episode Psychosis: a multi-modal PET-MR brain imaging study
European Psychiatry November 17, 2023 K. Beck, A. Arumuham, S. Brugger et al. 1 citation
In people experiencing a first episode of psychosis, availability of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the hippocampus is lower than in matched healthy controls. Lower hippocampal NMDAR availability was linked to more severe overall, depressive, and general symptoms, and also to higher levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the striatum. No significant differences in NMDAR availability were found in other brain regions examined. These results support the hypothesis that reduced NMDAR function contributes to psychosis and point to the hippocampus as a key brain area involved.