Two post-mortem studies [17▪,18] focused on the expression of dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein (DARPP)-32, a critical regulator of D1 dopamine receptor and NMDA receptor activity. Relative to age-matched controls, DARPP-32 levels were found to be reduced in both the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the rostral agranular insular cortex (RIAC). Whereas the RIAC findings were hypothesized to at least partially explain decreased pain thresholds in schizophrenia, the author’s conclusions on the STG bear further discussion in the context of the relationship of sensory processing and schizophrenia. First, DARPP-32-related pathogenesis in schizophrenia appeared to be more severe in the STG than previously reported for the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the STG is relatively understudied in schizophrenia, but given the region’s importance in MMN generation, and the strong relationship between MMN and NMDA, these findings add to the evidence for sensory-level dysfunction in schizophrenia.
