Schizophrenia, Dopamine and the Striatum: From Biology to Symptoms

The mesolimbic hypothesis has been a central dogma of schizophrenia for decades, positing that aberrant functioning of midbrain dopamine projections to limbic regions causes psychotic symptoms. Recently, however, advances in neuroimaging techniques have led to the unanticipated finding that dopaminergic dysfunction in schizophrenia is greatest within nigrostriatal pathways, implicating the dorsal striatum in the pathophysiology and calling into question the mesolimbic theory. At the same time our knowledge of striatal anatomy and function has progressed, suggesting new mechanisms via which striatal dysfunction may contribute to the symptoms of schizophrenia. This Review draws together these developments, to…

• BA
  Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Awards: 200102/Z/15/Z, /Z/15/Z, 094849/Z/10/Z
• MC
  Maudsley Charity

  Award: 094849/Z/10/Z
• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Research
• KC
  King's College London
• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Awards: 094849/Z/10/Z, MC-A656-5QD30