Abstract
Since the discovery of the endocannabinoid system, a growing body of psychiatric research has emerged focusing on the potential role of this system in schizophrenia. On the basis of earlier epidemiological studies and results from animal models, endocannabinoids and their relation to symptoms are considered in clinical studies as well as in post-mortem analyses of cannabinoid CB1 receptor densities. A possible neurobiological mechanism for the deleterious influence of cannabis use in schizophrenia is discussed, involving the disruption of endogenous cannabinoid signalling and function.
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Abbreviations
- ACC:
-
Anterior cingulate cortex
- CSF:
-
Cerebrospinal fluid
- PCC:
-
Posterior cingulate cortex
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the Stanley Medical Research Institute (01-315 and 03-NV-003 to FML) and the Koeln Fortune Program (108-2000 to FML). I gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Drs. L. Kranaster, D. Koethe, C.W. Gerth, C. Hoyer, B.M. Nolden, C. Mauss, D. Schreiber, F. Pahlisch, and C. Jöpen to this research.
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Leweke, F.M. (2009). Schizophrenia. In: Kendall, D., Alexander, S. (eds) Behavioral Neurobiology of the Endocannabinoid System. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88955-7_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88955-7_16
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