MapLight is developing effective, safe, circuit-specific treatments to make life better for those with difficult-to-treat brain disorders.

Over 50% of the world’s population will suffer from a serious central nervous system disorder at some point in their lives. Neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders strike at the very core of our identity, and inflict higher treatment and productivity costs than cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes combined. Years of life are lost for these patients, and many face the future with a severe disability that impedes everyday living. While widely prescribed therapy options exist, many patients remain untreated or poorly treated, with persistent, disabling symptoms.

Despite this need, many in the pharmaceutical industry have abandoned the search for new answers. Most widely used antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotic drugs remain nearly the same as their 1950s prototypes – and with good reason. Changing brain function in specific, targeted ways is far from simple, due to the astounding complexity of cell types and their interconnections in the nervous system.