Project Summary

Ashok N. Hegde, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2002) of Wake Forest University, will explore the recent finding that a protein called RGS4 is decreased in the brains of patients with schizophrenia by investigating how a decrease in RGS4 contributes to the development of schizophrenia.  Dr. Hegde will uses a simple model system with just tow kinds of neurons to determine if RGS4 controls the release of neurotransmitters (the molecules through which neurons communicate with each other.  He will study how RGS4 functions in the brain and what happens if the amounts of RGS4 are altered, and if a decrease in RGS4 would cause the inability of schizophrenic patients to filter out irrelevant sensory information from the environment.  The investigation can lead to a better understanding of the cause of schizophrenia and identification of new molecular targets for drug development.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

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