Project Summary

David Cotter, M.D., MRC Psych, Ph.D. (Independent Investigator 2003) of King’s College London, points out that the part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is abnormal in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BPD). In this region there is evidence that a type of cell, oligodendroglial cells, is functioning abnormally and is possibly reduced in schizophrenia and BPD. These cells are critical to the information processing and communication parts of brain function. Some studies show that people with schizophrenia have reduced amounts of some of the genes and proteins that are produced by oligodendroglia. This cell type is one of the main types of cells in the brain, and it is responsible for covering the neuronal processes (axons) with a membrane (myelin) that ensures efficient transfer of information between neurons. Thus, myelin is produced by oligodendroglial cells, covers axons, and aids communication between neurons. Oligodendroglial cells are most prominent in the white matter area of the brain; white matter abnormalities on brain scans or "white matter hyperintensities", are observed in BPD and their basis is not known. Dr. Cotter will use a proteomics method to compare the proteins in the brains of people with schizophrenia and BPD with that of people without neurological or psychiatric disorders, to identify which proteins are present in different levels in the disease, and to identify so-called 'disease specific proteins'. As proteins are the functionally active product of genes, this study will tell us a great deal about how function may be altered in these diseases, and will ultimately impact the understanding of cause, prevention and treatment of these disorders.

Program Area: MULTIPLE FOCUS AREAS\Bipolar Disorder/Schizophrenia

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