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Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement in Schizophrenia

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Abstract

Cognitive impairments in schizophrenia are common and severe. These impairments are also related to functional disability in schizophrenia. As a result, efforts are underway to enhance cognition in schizophrenia through a variety of pharmacological mechanisms. As part of this effort, a designated research design has been developed for this process, through an extensive consensus and validation effort. This paper reviews the methods for pharmacological cognitive enhancement, as well as previous results of efforts in the pharmacological domains. These domains include cholinergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, and GABA-ergic mechanisms. While previous results have not been particularly encouraging, there are many challenges that need to be overcome and many of the reasons for past failures may be due to resolvable issues. It is likely that this will be an area of research that will be developing extensively over the next decade and expanding to other conditions as well.

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  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Woodruff Memorial Building, 101 Woodruff Circle, Suite 4000, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Philip D. Harvey

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Correspondence to Philip D. Harvey.

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This preparation of this paper was not supported by any commercial interest.

In the past year, Dr. Harvey has served as a consultant to Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Dainippon Sumitomo America, Merck and Company, and Shire Pharmaceuticals. He has grant support from Astra-Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and received travel reimbursement from Pfizer, Inc.

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Harvey, P.D. Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement in Schizophrenia. Neuropsychol Rev 19, 324–335 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-009-9103-4

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