Association between increased serum d-serine and cognitive gains induced by intensive cognitive training in schizophrenia

Neuroscience-guided cognitive training induces significant improvement in cognition in schizophrenia subjects, but the biological mechanisms associated with these changes are unknown. In animals, intensive cognitive activity induces increased brain levels of the NMDA-receptor co-agonist d-serine, a molecular system that plays a role in learning-induced neuroplasticity and that may be hypoactive in schizophrenia. Here, we investigated whether training-induced gains in cognition were associated with increases in serum d-serine in outpatients with schizophrenia.

Source: Schizophrenia Research - April 23, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Rogerio Panizzutti, Melissa Fisher, Coleman Garrett, Wai Hong Man, Walter Sena, Caroline Madeira, Sophia Vinogradov Source Type: research