University of Tokyo researchers have found that teenagers who are bullied by their peers face an increased risk psychotic episodes and show lower levels of a neurotransmitter that is considered “key” in regulating emotion. The new findings indicate that the specific neurotransmitter called glutamic acid may be a potential target for pharmaceutical interventions against psychotic disorders.
New study shows how bowling interferes with teenagers’ brain metabolism making them more vulnerable to psychotic symptoms. Credit: Naohiro Okada, International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN)
The characteristics of psychosis
Psychosis is an emotional state characterized by loss of touch with reality, incoherent speech and behavior as well as hallucinations that occur in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.
The methodology of the study
University of Tokyo researchers used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) – an imaging method that captures the structure and function of the brain – to measure glutamate levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of Japanese adolescents. Recent studies have shown that people who experience a psychotic episode or have schizophrenia show lower than normal levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the anterior cingulate cortex.
The regulation of emotion
This region is known to play a vital role in emotion regulation, decision-making and cognitive control, while glutamate is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain and is involved in a wide range of functions such as learning, memory and mood regulation.
Changes in glutamic acid levels have been linked to mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. Thus measuring the levels of glutamate in the ACC can reveal important information about the neural mechanisms underlying these disorders and their treatment.
Questionnaires about bullying
The scientists also investigated whether the teenagers had been victims of bullying through questionnaires which were then subjected to special psychiatric analysis to draw conclusions about the type of bullying each had probably suffered (e.g. physical or verbal violence) as well as the effect this had on his mental health.
Psychotic symptoms in bullying victims
It found that children who had been bullied had higher levels of subclinical psychotic symptoms in early adolescence – symptoms that include hallucinations, paranoia and radical changes in thinking and behavior approach psychosis but do not meet all the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of mental disorder such as schizophrenia. Nevertheless, even without a formal diagnosis they can have a very strong effect on functioning and psychosomatic health.
The early stages of the disorder
“Studying these subclinical psychotic symptoms is important in order to understand the early stages of psychotic disorders and to identify individuals who are at increased risk of developing mental illness later in life,” said Naohiro Okadalead author of the study, associate professor at the University of Tokyo’s International Neurointelligence Research Center.
The most important finding of the study
Also highly significant was the study’s finding that the more subclinical psychotic symptoms, the lower the levels of glutamate in the prefrontal cortex in early adolescence.
The pharmaceutical target against psychosis
These new results point to a new potential drug target against psychosis – the specific neurotransmitter that is key to the onset of psychotic symptoms. However, non-pharmacological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy can target the imbalance in glutamic acid levels, Dr. Okada pointed out.
First of all, prevention
He added that in the beginning the prevention of both bullying and its effects. “Most importantly, there are anti-bullying programs in schools that focus on promoting positive social interactions and reducing aggressive behaviors. Such programs can help create a safe and supportive environment for all students by reducing the likelihood of bullying and its negative consequences.”
Support for victims of bullying
Another potentially important intervention, according to Dr. Okada, should be to support teenagers who have been bullied. Such intervention may include counseling services, peer support groups, and other strategies to support the mental health of bullied victims so that they can combat the negative effects of the violence they have suffered and develop resilience to such behaviors.
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