Even though the medicine and neuropsychology have advanced since the beginning of the twentieth century, the exact reasons for schizophrenia occurrence have not been determined. However, the scientists believe that schizophrenia is a genetically predisposed disorder. Inside of a brain, the level of chemical components such as dopamine and glutamate can be misbalanced. Brain structures in individuals who have schizophrenia can also be abnormal. For example, brain scan in identical twins reveals that cerebral ventricle filled with fluid is bigger in twins with schizophrenia when compared with the twins who do not have schizophrenia. The levels of brain activities can be higher or lower in some part of brain of an individual who has schizophrenia.
The evidence that suggest that schizophrenia could begin in the womb lies in studies that prove that if the pregnant women have been exposed to extreme conditions such as hunger and stress, the risk of schizophrenia occurrence is larger. One of such studies is The story of the Dutch Famine Study. During the Second World War, the population in Holland was exposed to extreme hunger in 1944. As cited by Susser, Hoek, and Brown, "The Dutch Famine Study was a "natural experiment" based on an extraordinary historical event known as the Dutch Hunger Winter" (2013). The study correlated schizophrenia along with other diseases such as cardiovascular diseases with prenatal exposure to famine. As cited by Susser et. al, "As hypothesized, the risk of schizophrenia was significantly increased in the birth cohort conceived at the height of the famine" (215). This evidence provides that prenatal explosion to different environmental surrounding can contribute to schizophrenia development in a fetus.
Work Cited:
Susser Ezra., Hoek W. Hans, Brown Alan. The Story of the Dutch Famine Study. Neurodevelopmental Disorders after Prenatal Famine. American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 147. No. 3. (213-215). 1988. Web. 26. November 2014. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/147/3/213.full.pdf+html?ijkey=4a18a5f2d89c45460767c9278d3b5f73876052c6&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
