Fig. 4: E/I balance as a common pathway to cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.

A Muscarinic, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic influences on E/I balance in healthy controls and mechanisms of disruption in schizophrenia. B E/I balance and cognition. In healthy individuals, interactions between excitatory pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons generate gamma oscillations, which are associated with functional brain networks observable using fMRI, with all levels showing links to healthy cognitive function. In individuals with schizophrenia, disruptions to muscarinic and dopaminergic signalling, an intrinsic interneuron deficits may underlie a state of cortical disinhibition. This disinhibition would account for the aberrant gamma activity and functional networks observed in the disorder and contribute to cognitive impairments.