Implications of Striatal Dopamine Signalling for Schizophrenia

Abstract

Our understanding of striatal dopamine (DA) function has come a long way since the inception of the DA hypothesis of schizophrenia. These advances have been facilitated in large part by the technique of optogenetics and they have helped to provide a neural basis for the motivational-salience theory of psychosis. This research has also revealed novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of schizophrenia. Optogenetic studies of striatal DA signalling have proven to be a promising area of research with important implications for our understanding of schizophrenia and its treatment.