Neural correlates:

• STRENGTH:

  • Support for the idea that dopamine (DA) is involved in schizophrenia
  • First amphetamines increase DA and worsen symptoms in people with schizophrenia and induce symptoms in people without (Curran et al)
  • Second antipsychotic drugs reduce DA activity and also reduce the intensity of symptoms (Tauscher et al)
  • Third, some candidate genes act on the production of DA or DA receptors

  This strongly suggests that dopamine is involved in the symptoms of schizophrenia
• LIMITATION:

  • Evidence for a central role of glutamate.
  • Post-mortem and live scanning studies have consistently found raised levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in several brain regions of people with schizophrenia (McCutcheon et al)
  • In addition, several candidate genes for schizophrenia are believed to be involved in glutamate production or processing

  This means that an equally strong case can be made for a role for other neurotransmitters