Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31529297›Full record

SynthesisJournal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996)2019

Pre-frontal parvalbumin interneurons in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of post-mortem studies.

Stephen J Kaar, Ilinca Angelescu, Tiago Reis Marques, Oliver D Howes

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 91 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
91citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
11.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

91 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 148 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Glutamatergic Modulation of Brain Function in Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies.Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Parvalbumin interneurons under stress: converging mechanisms of vulnerability.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Investigating hierarchical critical periods in human neurodevelopment.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

31 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Stephen J KaarPsychosis Studies [PO63], Inst. of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5th Floor, Main Building, Denmark Hill, London, UK. stephen.kaar@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-0194-0806
Ilinca AngelescuPsychosis Studies [PO63], Inst. of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5th Floor, Main Building, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
Tiago Reis MarquesPsychosis Studies [PO63], Inst. of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5th Floor, Main Building, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
Oliver D HowesPsychosis Studies [PO63], Inst. of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5th Floor, Main Building, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
King's College London · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G0700995Medical Research Council MC_U120097115Medical Research Council MR/L022176/1Medical Research Council MR/N026063/1Medical Research Council MR/N027078/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Parvalbumin interneurons are fast-spiking GABAergic neurons that provide inhibitory control of cortical and subcortical circuits and are thought to be a key locus of the pathophysiology underlying schizophrenia. In view of the contradictory results regarding the nature of parvalbumin post-mortem findings in schizophrenia, we conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of the data on parvalbumin cell density and parvalbumin mRNA levels in pre-frontal regions in the brains of patients with schizophrenia (n = 274) compared with healthy controls (n = 275). The results suggest that parvalbumin interneurons are reduced in density in the frontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia (Hedges' g = - 0.27; p = 0.03) and there is a non-significant reduction in parvalbumin mRNA levels (g = - 0.44; p = 0.12). However, certain methodological issues need to be considered in interpreting such results and are discussed in more detail. A meta-regression was conducted for post-mortem interval and year of publication as covariates which were both non-significant, except in the mRNA meta-analysis where post-mortem interval was found to be significant. Overall our findings provide tentative support for the hypothesis that the GABAergic system is deficient in schizophrenia and that parvalbumin-containing interneurons offer a potential target for treatment. However, further well-controlled studies that examine multiple regions and layers are warranted to determine whether parvalbumin alterations are region or layer specific and to test the robustness of the findings further.

Indexed as

AutopsyHumansInterneuronsParvalbuminsPrefrontal CortexSchizophreniaParvalbuminsCalcium-binding proteinsCognitionImmunoreactivityNeurobiologyOscillationsPathology

Identifiers

PMID31529297
PMCPMC6856257
OpenAlexW2973978594

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.