Distribution of 5-HT and DA receptors in primate prefrontal cortex: implications for pathophysiology and treatment.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has attracted a great research interest because of its involvement in the control of executive functions in both health and disease, and particularly in cognitive functions such as working memory. In schizophrenia, alterations in the PFC are documented at many different levels: molecular, cellular and functional. Furthermore, deficits in cognitive abilities are considered a core feature of schizophrenia and remain a major unmet medical need with respect to this disorder. In order to understand the sites of action of currently used drugs, as well as of the new experimental treatments being developed and acting in this brain region, it is important to have a detailed knowledge of the corresponding chemical neuroanatomy. Here we review current knowledge regarding the cellular localization of 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A) and dopamine D1, D5, and D2, D4 receptors in primate PFC and their possible functions in the neuronal circuits of the PFC.