Role of the cholinergic system in the pathology and treatment of schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric disorder; the diagnosis probably encompasses a number of illnesses with similar clinical presentations, complicating both treatment and studies into the pathology of the disorder. The development of antipsychotic medications revolutionized treatment for the disorder. However, there are still symptom domains that are relatively untouched by the drugs currently available; these are the cognitive deficits and the negative symptoms. Basic research strongly supports a role of acetylcholine in cognitive processes, making it a primary target for drugs designed to improve this most impairing symptom. In addition, the fact that acetylcholine can modulate dop..