NMDA agonist
NMDA receptor agonist
- Ca²⁺ influx and synaptic plasticity
- Glutamate
- Ca²⁺ influx triggers signaling cascades that drive AMPA insertion or removal, activates CREB and BDNF pathways, shapes spine growth and developmental wiring, and causes excitotoxicity when excessive
- Supports learning and BDNF-linked signaling
- Excess activation → excitotoxicity
- NMDA receptor signaling is reduced in schizophrenia
Drugs with this mechanism (4)
- Aspartate — Excitatory amino acid and NMDA-receptor agonist.
- Glutamate — Primary excitatory CNS neurotransmitter.
- N-methyl-D-aspartate — The synthetic agonist that names the NMDA glutamate receptor.
- Quinolinic acid — Kynurenine-pathway NMDA agonist from activated microglia; the brain’s own excitotoxin.
Self-check
- Which ion influx links NMDA activation to synaptic plasticity?
Ca²⁺. - What can excessive NMDA activation cause?
Excitotoxicity.
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