TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive performance and peripheral endocannabinoid system receptor expression in schizophrenia
AU - Ferretjans, Rodrigo
AU - De Campos, Salvina Maria
AU - Ribeiro-Santos, Rafael
AU - Guimarães, Fernanda Carneiro
AU - De Oliveira, Keliane
AU - Cardoso, Ana Cecília Alves
AU - Araújo, Marcio Sobreira
AU - Teixeira-Carvalho, Andrea
AU - Martins-Filho, Olindo Assis
AU - Teixeira, Antonio L.
AU - Salgado, João V.
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric syndrome characterized by generalized cognitive deficits that are associated with functional impairment. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) modulates neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity and is important for cognitive functioning. Evidence points to the involvement of this neuromodulatory system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and that alteration of the ECS on peripheral lymphocytes could reflect central changes. The objective of this study was to compare levels of peripheral endocannabinoid receptor expression in patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects and find evidence of association between peripheral expression of those receptors and cognitive performance. Patients with stabilized schizophrenia (N = 53) and controls (N = 22) underwent clinical and cognitive evaluation, and assessment of cannabinoid receptor expression on the surface of peripheral immune cells (lymphocytes, natural killer cells and monocytes) by flow cytometry. Patients with schizophrenia had lower levels of cannabinoid receptor expression on total T lymphocytes, but after controlling for possible confounders this difference did not remain significant. In patients, increased cannabinoid receptor expression on lymphocytes and monocytes was significantly correlated with worst cognitive performance. These data provide additional evidence of the involvement of the ECS in the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
AB - Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric syndrome characterized by generalized cognitive deficits that are associated with functional impairment. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) modulates neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity and is important for cognitive functioning. Evidence points to the involvement of this neuromodulatory system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and that alteration of the ECS on peripheral lymphocytes could reflect central changes. The objective of this study was to compare levels of peripheral endocannabinoid receptor expression in patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects and find evidence of association between peripheral expression of those receptors and cognitive performance. Patients with stabilized schizophrenia (N = 53) and controls (N = 22) underwent clinical and cognitive evaluation, and assessment of cannabinoid receptor expression on the surface of peripheral immune cells (lymphocytes, natural killer cells and monocytes) by flow cytometry. Patients with schizophrenia had lower levels of cannabinoid receptor expression on total T lymphocytes, but after controlling for possible confounders this difference did not remain significant. In patients, increased cannabinoid receptor expression on lymphocytes and monocytes was significantly correlated with worst cognitive performance. These data provide additional evidence of the involvement of the ECS in the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
KW - Cannabinoid receptors
KW - Cognitive deficits
KW - Endocannabinoid system
KW - Immune system
KW - Pathophysiology
KW - Schizophrenia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901855670&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84901855670&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2014.04.028
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2014.04.028
M3 - Article
C2 - 24853061
AN - SCOPUS:84901855670
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 156
SP - 254
EP - 260
JO - Schizophrenia research
JF - Schizophrenia research
IS - 2-3
ER -