Brain circuit needed to incorporate new information may be linked to schizophrenia

MIT researchers identified a gene mutation (grin2a) that disrupts a brain circuit responsible for updating beliefs with new information—something often impaired in Schizophrenia.

In mouse studies, this disruption caused the brain to rely on outdated information, helping explain why patients may struggle with decision-making and lose touch with reality.

The findings point to a specific brain circuit as a potential target for new treatments, especially for cognitive symptoms that current therapies don’t address well.