Synaptic density marker SV2A is reduced in schizophrenia patients and unaffected by antipsychotics in rats.

ABSTRACT: Synaptic dysfunction is hypothesised to play a key role in schizophrenia pathogenesis, but this has not been tested directly in vivo.  Here, we investigated synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) levels and their relationship to symptoms and structural brain measures using [¹¹C]UCB-J positron emission tomography in 18 patients with schizophrenia and 18 controls. We found significant group and group-by-region interaction effects on volume of distribution (V_T). [¹¹C]UCB-J V_T was significantly lower in the frontal and anterior cingulate cortices in schizophrenia with large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.8-0.9), but there was no significant difference in the hippocampus. We also investigated the effects of antipsychotic drug administration on SV2A leve

SUBMITTER: Onwordi EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6959348 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature