The Glutamate Hypothesis

Question 1

What is Glutamate?

Answer 1

Glutamate is also an excitatory neurotransmitter, which is involved in many areas of brain functioning- cognition, memory and learning.

Question 2

What is the Glutamate hypothesis?

Answer 2

This is the idea that dopamine does have a role in schizophrenia, but it doesn’t always act alone.

Question 3

How does NDMA effect schizophrenia?

Answer 3

It is a receptor for glutamate and without it, the brain takes on less glutamate. Carlsson found that in animal studies where NDMA antagonists are used, there was a lack of glutamate but not dopamine, yet symptoms were present.

Question 4

What are the three possibilities for symptom production?

Answer 4

1- Symptoms are caused by too much dopamine.
2- It is caused by too little glutamate.
3- Caused by an interaction between the neurotransmitters.