Blockage of NMDA receptors causes a wide disturbance, leading to inactivation of inhibitory neurons and disinhibition of certain excitatory pathways as the main process for NMDA antagonist drugs to injure neurons in different corticolimbic regions of the brain. This core mechanism underlies the neurotixc and psychotic effects of NMDA antagonist drugs (psychotoxic triggered by a mild network disturbance, and neurotoxic triggered by a more intense disturbance). This evidence also explains how many classes of drugs that prevent neurotoxic effects in rats also reduce effects in humans.