Dopamine and Brain Network Dynamics in Schizophrenia

BrainPost, 15 June 2021

Working memory allows us to maintain and revise cognitive representations to successfully complete tasks. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors are responsible for modulating the prefrontal neurons required for working memory in a dual-state manner; D1 receptors maintain cognitive representations while D2 receptors enable flexible shifts between different cognitive states. Evidence suggests that truly functional working memory requires a structured transition through global brain states and reconfiguration of interactions throughout the brain, but it is unclear how the brain guides such transitions and interactions. The network control theory (NCT) has been identified as a promising tool to study such questions. Read more.