Cholinergic signaling, in particularα7 nAChR–dependent PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway are critically involved in several disorders, including schizophrenia, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, myocardial ischemia reperfusion and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and can provide protection against inflammatory injury (27, 47–52). This evidence concerns the gene CHRNA4 and schizophrenia.