Atlas of the brain's striatum could guide researchers to new drug treatments
A region of the brain called the striatum is critical for many cognitive and motor functions, including decision-making, movement control, habit formation and reward processing. It also plays a role in addiction and is significantly affected by Huntington's disease, schizophrenia and other disorders.
A region of the brain called the striatum plays a crucial role in cognitive and motor functions, as well as addiction and certain neurological disorders. MIT researchers have now created an atlas of the neurons within the striatum, which could guide the development of new drug treatments for these conditions. By using single-cell RNA sequencing and other techniques, the scientists identified 31 distinct subgroups of neurons, including those involved in addiction, depression, and schizophrenia.
They discovered that certain neurons are more vulnerable to Huntington's disease, and that specific cell populations respond strongly to drugs like clozapine used to treat schizophrenia. The findings could lead to more targeted therapies that alleviate psychosis without harmful side effects.
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