Faculty

In schizophrenia, impaired working memory is associated with transcriptome alterations in layer 3 pyramidal neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Distinct subtypes of layer 3 pyramidal neurons that send axonal projections to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the opposite hemisphere (callosal projection neurons) or the parietal cortex in the same hemisphere (ipsilateral projection neurons) play critical...

Cognitive deficits, among the most debilitating clinical features of schizophrenia, might reflect, at least in part, circuit dysfunction in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In schizophrenia, layer 3 pyramidal neurons of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex exhibit deficits in markers of excitatory synaptic inputs that are thought to disrupt the patterns of neural network activity essential for cognitive function...

Working memory, the ability to maintain a limited amount of information “in mind” to guide everyday thoughts and behaviors, is a core cognitive process. Its function depends on activity in a network of brain areas distributed across the cerebral cortex. Each of these areas display different patterns of activity while information is being maintained. These differences are correlated with, and might depend on...

Understanding the mechanisms by which N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) regulate cortical circuit function is crucial for testing hypotheses that NMDAR hypofunction is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Recent studies reveal that presynaptic NMDARs control transmitter release at cortical synapses, suggesting novel mechanisms of NMDAR action in cortical circuits. If presynaptic NMDARs enhance...