Neuropathological, neurogenetic and neuroimaging evidence for white matter pathology in schizophrenia

Abstract

A wide range of neuropathological abnormalities have been detected in schizophrenia sufferers, and emerging evidence points to neural substrates of connectivity as having a key role in the development of disease. This article reviews the available evidence for white matter pathology in schizophrenia, and examines its possible role as a substrate of impaired connectivity. Neuropathological data is suggestive of abnormalities in glial structure and function, and myelinated structures have also been implicated. A number of studies, particularly using gene array technology, are pointing towards significant disruption in expression of myelination genes. Magnetic resonance imaging has tended to fo..