How nicotine acts on the brains of schizophrenic patients

Several studies have indicated that schizophrenic patients are likely to show a high level of nicotine dependence. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, Inserm and the ENS used a mouse model to elucidate the mechanism of action of nicotine on cells in the prefrontal cortex. They visualized how nicotine has a direct impact on the restoration of normal activity in nerve cells (neurons) involved in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. These findings were published in Nature Medicine on January 23, 2017.

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