Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28359200›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of psychiatry2017

Selective Loss of Smaller Spines in Schizophrenia.

Matthew L MacDonald, Jamil Alhassan, Jason T Newman, Michelle Richard, Hong Gu, Ryan M Kelly, Alan R Sampson, Kenneth N Fish, Peter Penzes, Zachary P Wills and 2 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of psychiatry, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 87 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
87citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
6.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

87 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 124 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Functional genomic profiling of schizophrenia-associated genes reveals key microglial regulators.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
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  5. Review
  6. Synaptic dysfunction and adaptation after NMDA receptor ablation in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Altered Molecular Composition of a Specific Subset of Prefrontal Cortical Excitatory Synapses in Schizophrenia.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. AUGMENTED DOUBLY ROBUST POST-IMPUTATION INFERENCE FOR PROTEOMIC DATA.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
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27 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Matthew L MacDonaldFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Jamil AlhassanFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Jason T NewmanFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Michelle RichardFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Hong GuFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Ryan M KellyFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Alan R SampsonFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Kenneth N FishFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Peter PenzesFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Zachary P WillsFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
David A LewisFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Robert A SweetFrom the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Statistics, and Neurobiology, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh; and the Departments of Physiology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System · US

Funding

Small GTPase signaling in spinesR01MH071316 · NIMH · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI BARBOLINA, MARIA V., PENZES, PETER · 2005 to 2025
$7.1M
Plasticity of Auditory Cortical Circuits in SchizophreniaR01MH071533 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI SWEET, ROBERT A · 2004 to 2018
$6.9M
Synaptic and dendritic dysfunction in psychiatric disordersR01MH097216 · NIMH · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI PENZES, PETER · 2012 to 2021
$6.1M
Chandelier cell inputs to pyramidal neurons in schizophrenia and developmentR01MH096985 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI FISH, KENNETH N · 2012 to 2015
$1.2M
Small GTPase signaling in dendrites and spinesR56MH071316 · NIMH · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI PENZES, PETER · 2020 to 2020
$782k
ATP1A3 Induced Alterations to Glutamate Signaling Protein Networks in SchizophreniaK01MH107756 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI MACDONALD, MATTHEW L · 2015 to 2018
$631k
Imaging Synapse Assembly in Hippocampal Circuit DevelopmentR21MH107966 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI WILLS, ZACHARY P · 2016 to 2017
$420k
NIMH NIH HHS K01 MH107756NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH071316NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH071533NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH096985NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH097216NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH107966NIMH NIH HHS R56 MH071316
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDecreased density of dendritic spines in adult schizophrenia subjects has been hypothesized to result from increased pruning of excess synapses in adolescence. In vivo imaging studies have confirmed that synaptic pruning is largely driven by the loss of large or mature synapses. Thus, increased pruning throughout adolescence would likely result in a deficit of large spines in adulthood. Here, the authors examined the density and volume of dendritic spines in deep layer 3 of the auditory cortex of 20 schizophrenia and 20 matched comparison subjects as well as aberrant voltage-gated calcium channel subunit protein expression linked to spine loss.

methodPrimary auditory cortex deep layer 3 spine density and volume was assessed in 20 pairs of schizophrenia and matched comparison subjects in an initial and replication cohort (12 and eight pairs) by immunohistochemistry-confocal microscopy. Targeted mass spectrometry was used to quantify postsynaptic density and voltage-gated calcium channel protein expression. The effect of increased voltage-gated calcium channel subunit protein expression on spine density and volume was assessed in primary rat neuronal culture.

resultsOnly the smallest spines are lost in deep layer 3 of the primary auditory cortex in subjects with schizophrenia, while larger spines are retained. Levels of the tryptic peptide ALFDFLK, found in the schizophrenia risk gene CACNB4, are inversely correlated with the density of smaller, but not larger, spines in schizophrenia subjects. Consistent with this observation, CACNB4 overexpression resulted in a lower density of smaller spines in primary neuronal cultures.

conclusionsThese findings require a rethinking of the overpruning hypothesis, demonstrate a link between small spine loss and a schizophrenia risk gene, and should spur more in-depth investigations of the mechanisms that govern new or small spine generation and stabilization under normal conditions as well as how this process is impaired in schizophrenia.

Indexed as

AdultAuditory CortexCalcium ChannelsCase-Control StudiesCohort StudiesDendritic SpinesGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHumansInfantMaleMass SpectrometryMiddle AgedNeuronal PlasticitySchizophreniaSchizophrenic PsychologyStatistics as TopicCACNB4 protein, humanCalcium ChannelsCalcium ChannelDendritic SpinesNeuropathologyProteomicsSchizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID28359200
PMCPMC5800878
OpenAlexW2598568678

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.