Published online Apr 19, 2022. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i4.541
Peer-review started: February 26, 2021
First decision: July 15, 2021
Revised: July 28, 2021
Accepted: March 25, 2022
Article in press: March 25, 2022
Published online: April 19, 2022
Processing time: 411 Days and 5.2 Hours
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental illness that affects several brain domains with relation to cognition and behaviour. SCZ symptoms are typically classified into three categories, namely, positive, negative, and cognitive. The etiology of SCZ is thought to be multifactorial and poorly understood. Accumulating evidence has indicated abnormal synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairments in SCZ. Synaptic plasticity is thought to be induced at appropriate synapses during memory formation and has a critical role in the cognitive symptoms of SCZ. Many factors, including synaptic structure changes, aberrant expression of plasticity-related genes, and abnormal synaptic transmission, may influence synaptic plasticity and play vital roles in SCZ. In this article, we briefly summarize the morphology of the synapse, the neurobiology of synaptic plasticity, and the role of synaptic plasticity, and review potential mechanisms underlying abnormal synaptic plasticity in SCZ. These abnormalities involve dendritic spines, postsynaptic density, and long-term potentiation-like plasticity. We also focus on cognitive dysfunction, which reflects impaired connectivity in SCZ. Additionally, the potential targets for the treatment of SCZ are discussed in this article. Therefore, understanding abnormal synaptic plasticity and impaired cognition in SCZ has an essential role in drug therapy.
Core Tip: Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental illness that affects several domains of cognition and behaviour. SCZ symptoms are typically classified into three categories, namely, positive, negative, and cognitive. The etiology of SCZ is thought to be multifactorial and poorly understood. Accumulating evidence has indicated abnormal synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairments in SCZ. This article will briefly review abnormalities in synaptic plasticity, including synaptic structure, synaptic plasticity-related genes, neuroplasticity, synaptic transmission, and cognitive dysfunction in SCZ.