The Neurodevelopmental Model of Schizophrenia: Updated

This chapter reviews and evaluates evidence bearing on the questions of whether and how both early (i.e., pre- and perinatal) and late (i.e., adolescent) neurodevelopmental influences may be involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of Schizophrenia. It describes the various neural disturbances detected in Schizophrenia. This is followed by an analysis of studies investigating the roles of genetic and nongenetic factors in brain abnormalities. These studies provide a framework for hypothesis generation concerning the timing of onset and course of brain abnormalities in Schizophrenia. The chapter presents an analysis of the various literatures bearing more directly on the question of the timing of onset and course of brain abnormalities in Schizophrenia. It finally provides an updated version of the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of Schizophrenia, specifying a number of ways in which particular sets of early and late influences might interact in determining the timing of onset and course of the disorder.