Therapeutic Potential for Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 7 Modulators in Cognitive Disorders.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGlu) is the most highly conserved and abundantly expressed mGlu receptor in the human brain. The presynaptic localization of mGlu, coupled with its low affinity for its endogenous agonist, glutamate, are features that contribute to the receptor's role in modulating neuronal excitation and inhibition patterns, including long-term potentiation, in various brain regions. These characteristics suggest that mGlu modulation may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy in disorders of cognitive dysfunction, including neurodevelopmental disorders that cause impairments in learning, memory, and attention.