Acute D2 receptor blockade induces rapid, reversible remodeling in human cortical-striatal circuits

Structural remodeling has been observed in the human brain over periods of weeks to months, but the molecular mechanisms governing this process remain incompletely characterized. Using multimodal pharmaco-neuroimaging, we found that acute D-2 receptor blockade induced reversible striatal volume changes and structural-functional decoupling in motor circuits within hours; these alterations predicted acute extrapyramidal motor symptoms with high precision. Our findings suggest a role for D-2 receptors in short-term neural plasticity and identify a potential biomarker for neuroleptic side effects in humans.