Schizophrenia can be described as a neurodevelopment disorder. Genetics and surroundings play an important role in development of this disorder. Patients suffering from the decease faced problems in performing the tasks involved memory and mental exercise.
1. Various findings revels that schizophrenia is a disconnection problem. Some findings are as follow;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - a study carried out on structural MRI shown uneven distribution of grey material in different regions of brain. The grey material found around 5 to 10 percent less in frontotemporal and basal ganglia-thalamocortical network. A decrease in volume in hippocampus considered as consistent and very critical structural abnormality.
Another analysis of Diffusion tensor imagine (DTI) shows decrease in white substance anisotropy in left prefrontal and temporal cortex. This study supports disconnectivity problems.
Some studies conducted on Functional MRI shown improper connectivity in hippoampal, prefrontal and cerebellar-thalamic prefrontal networks. Due to decline in myelin building oligodendrocytes circulation of information in nerve cells get disturbed.
Transcranial magnetic Stimulation (TMS) – study investigated inter and intra cortical connectivity variations in the patients. Connection between primary motor cortices was observed deficient in the patients.
2. Schizophrenic patient’s brain shows little difference from the normal brain. Based various studies carried out on animals, the volume of grey material in patients brain is lower than other healthy people. It was also observed that the size of central fluid cavity is larger in schizophrenic patients. Few parts of brain are having either higher or lower metabolic activities.
Some studies conducted on animals after death found few changes in brain cells in terms of distribution and characteristics in schizophrenic patients. Majority of the changes are prenatal. Any problem during brain development leads to defective connections that remain inactive until person is mature and in early adulthood.
Reference
Andrea Schmitt, Alkomiet Hasan, Oliver Gruber and Peter Falkai. (2011). Schizophrenia as a disorder of disconnectivity. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci , 406-411.
