Basal Ganglia Pathology in Schizophrenia: Dopamine Connections and Anomalies
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As unique and complex organisms, we encounter challenges which may have a profound impact on our cells and essentially the quality of life. Schizophrenia affects 1.1% of the world population and has a detrimental impact on society, a mental disease where a cure and predisposition is yet to be established. Primary and secondary literature are distinct informative sources which enable us to better understand scientific concerns in the world and provide effectual reasoning. The review article identifies pathways or systems involving dopamine within the basal ganglia and how fluctuations or absence of this neurotransmitter can cause implications in brain functioning- evident in schizophrenic patients.

The Journal of Neurochemistry comprises of peer-reviewed articles that can appeal to a spectrum of individuals, ranging from emerging scientific researchers and health professionals to the general society. The extensive citation and depth may indicate the credibility of the journal and numerous publications demonstrate the success in communicating the nature and extent of current issues in the field of neuroscience.

The review article investigates the relation between dopamine levels in regions of the brain and how abnormalities contribute to poor cognitive behavior which can be seen in schizophrenic patients. The most relevant discipline to complement the article would therefore be neuroscience- study of the nervous system, specifically the brain, and how it dictates our behavior and thinking. It is widely recognized that a cure for schizophrenia is not yet established, and the article rather proposes how certain anomalies persist due to chemical imbalances or lack of neurotransmitters which may present a sub-discipline of neurochemistry. I further researched to expand my knowledge of brain pathways and how it related to mental disorders, similarly discussed within the article, which allowed me to infer alternative sub-disciplines of neuroanatomy and psychiatric disorders.

The journal has a strong relationship with the discipline of the article- neuroscience (neurochemistry), explicitly discussing the relation of dopamine on human activity. The journal is published in 2010 and associates with the International Society for Neurochemistry which educates neuro-chemists and researchers on a worldwide scope and provides well-evidenced perspectives from experts in the discipline. The review article parallels the journals’ topic of molecular chemical and cell biological aspects of the nervous system where specificity ensures the direct audience is reached and hence interpreted a highly credible source.
I was able to infer that basal ganglia consisted of dopamine neurons which were transmitted along certain pathways along the prefrontal cortex and other regions of the brain and if inhibited, would onset deficiencies in behavioural and thinking patterns. Anatomical presentations from previous research has linked these abnormalities with schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia were consistent with fluctuating levels of dopamine in the basal ganglia which instigated several papers on the link to cognitive abnormalities. Dopamine receptor (D2) levels in certain regions of the brain were low in schizophrenic patients as opposed to healthy individuals and showed prevalence of diminishing cognitive behaviour, depression, movement disorders and bipolar.

This review article was particularly interesting to me as it provided an insight of potential indicators of a mental illness that has no current cure and contained prospective links with neuroscientific issues. We are constantly updating and expanding our knowledge in the field of science, trying to better understand the complex nature of humans and developing theories to reason our behaviour. In particular, the findings provide an intellectual perspective to educate neuroscientists or the general society about issues persisting within the discipline and their current implications. The global representation of such journals facilitate technological advancements and assist researchers to further expand their knowledge. Furthermore, review provides improvements and limitations of current research and suggests how future experiments can be improved.

The review article utilises more than 250 references and a comprehensive list of journals that are credible and published worldwide. A substantial amount of these references are primary literature, for example Yung (1996), who explored the synaptic neural connections and their relation to cognitive behaviour. Improvements in research can be conveyed by different articles by the same author which is apparent in this article and can be explained by technological advances and evolving nature of neuroscience. Additionally, references ranged from dates 1972 to 2009 demonstrating the expansive research of the discipline, however appeared to me as a potential limitation of accuracy.

Decreased Dopamine D2 Receptor Binding in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Schizophrenia.

Suhara, T., Okubo, Y., Yasuno, F., Sudo, Y., Inoue, M., Ichimiya, T., Nakashima, Y., Nakayama,
K., Tanada, S., Suzuki, K., Halldin, C. & Farde, L. (2002). Decreased Dopamine D2 Receptor Binding in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Schizophrenia. American Medical Association. 59(1), 25-30.

Primary article explores anomalies evident in the cerebral cortex and other regions of the brain in schizophrenic patients. Participants compared their binding potential of D2 which would depend on their brain anatomy and the anterior cingulate cortex. Although I did not completely understand the procedure, abnormal functioning of these regions would associate with low ‘dopaminergic transmission’ which resulted with the onset of schizophrenic symptoms. This literature presented findings which impacted the review article and established a correlation amongst others, between dopamine and characteristics of psychosis. The primary article initiated the study of certain regions of the brain and their specialisation and how the availability of dopamine can have a detrimental effect on the nervous system. I believe the use of numerous references used within the review article may have compromised the depth of the contribution of each author, however a strong relation between both articles has enabled me to conclude that dopamine is a strong indicator of schizophrenia.

My understanding of primary and secondary literature has been modulated by both articles and I believe they are both of unique value when executing research within any field. Primary research presents a hypothesis and procedure carried out by experts to produce an expected outcome whereas secondary literature collates evidence to show an effective correlation between primary findings. Both articles provided me with a basic understanding of information that complemented presented ideas and how they correlated with one another. Both sources of literature are essential in providing information of current issues in society, enabling us to better understand their nature and extent.

References
Perez-Costas, E., Melendez-Ferro, M. & Roberts, R. C. (2010). Basal Ganglia Pathology in Schizophrenia: Dopamine Connections and Anomalies. Journal of Neurochemistry. 113, 287-302.

Suhara, T., Okubo, Y., Yasuno, F., Sudo, Y., Inoue, M., Ichimiya, T., Nakashima, Y., Nakayama, K., Tanada, S., Suzuki, K., Halldin, C. & Farde, L. (2002). Decreased Dopamine D2 Receptor Binding in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Schizophrenia. American Medical Association. 59(1), 25-30.