In recent years, there has been a significant increase in antipsychotic use in children and adolescents with severe mental illnesses. However, research on the long-term consequences and related neurobiological mechanisms of antipsychotic exposure on the brain and behavioral development is lacking. Preclinical studies suggest various neurotransmitter systems—especially the dopamine and serotonin systems in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus—undergo maturational changes during adolescence. Antipsychotic exposure during this period also alters these neuroreceptors in unique ways not seen in adult animals. As pediatric treatment is administered at a critical time of rapid brain and behavioral development, there is a need to evaluate the possible long-term impacts of antipsychotic medications on psychological functions. The long-term objective is to understand the impacts of antipsychotic treatment during adolescence on the behavioral and neurobiological functions throughout the development. Ming Li’s studies show that repeated administration of antipsychotic drugs in adolescence can alter drug sensitivity in adulthood, causing a sensitized or attenuated effect. However, the specific neurobiological mechanisms underlying such a long-term effect have not been examined. The clinical significance of antips
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