Recent developments in the neuropharmacology of schizophrenia

Recent developments in the neuropharmacology of schizophrenia are discussed. Research in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia has enhanced our understanding of the illness and contributed to the development of new drug therapies. With magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomographic scans, we are able to examine the structure and function of the brain in living schizophrenic patients. Molecular biologic techniques have been used to identify several types of dopamine receptors; these may play a key role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. New drug therapies have been developed that target specific receptors in the brain. Antagonists of dopa-mine and serotonin receptors were developed on the basis of the discovery that dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in the mammalian central nervous system functionally interact; balanced antagonism of these receptors may provide an enhanced antipsychotic effect.