Investigating the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia

Abstract

An optimal intra-uterine environment is critical for normal development of the brain. It is now thought that abnormal development in a compromised prenatal and/or early postnatal environment may be a risk factor for several neurological disorders that manifest postnatally, such as cerebral palsy, schizophrenia and epilepsy. The present review examines some of the effects of abnormal prenatal brain development and focuses on one disorder that has been hypothesized to have, at least in part, an early neurodevelopmental aetiology: schizophrenia. The key neuropathological alterations and changes in some of the neurotransmitter systems observed in patients with schizophrenia are reviewed. Evidenc..