[Neurobiological findings in schizophrenia].

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is a syndrome with important neurobiological abnormalities which have not yet been fully clarified and whose aetiology is poorly understood.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The paper gives a survey of the most important neurobiological abnormalities found in schizophrenia, based on relevant research publications, mainly from the most recent decades.

RESULTS AND INTERPRETATIONS: Pathomorphological findings in schizophrenia include ventricular and cortical sulcal enlargement, reduction of cortical thickness, cellular changes with reduction of dendrites and synapses, presumably resulting in reduced cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical connections. These abnormalities are thought to be mainly developmental in origin, mostly on a genetic basis, but also with varying contributions from prenatal or perinatal damage. In a subgroup of schizophrenics there is a poorly understood neurodegenerative process going on also after the debut of the psychosis. Neurochemically, interest has focused mostly on dopaminergic dysfunction, but other transmitters like serotonin, glutamate and GABA are also involved, as is probably the neurotensin peptide. There is also increasing evidence of disturbed cell membrane composition and function in schizophrenia, especially with regard to polyunsaturated fatty acids.