Developmental Neuropathology Of Schizophrenia

This volume reports the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Workshop held in Castelvecchio Pas coli, Italy, from August 28 - September 1, 1989. An important inspiration for this Workshop came from our studies in Helsinki and Denmark, which have found that exposure to an influenza epidemic during the second trimester of fetal development increases the risk of adult schizophrenia. This finding has stimulated an important new hypothesis in the study of the etiology of schizophrenia. It has suggested the possiblity that disturbances of brain development during gestation may contribute to the risk of adult schizophrenia. We determined that it would be of value to bring together schizophrenia researchers and those doing basic studies of the development of the brain. Both groups of researchers were encouraged to communicate at a level that would help other scientists to integrate their knowledge and techniques into their own discipline. For this reason, perhaps, the papers of this volume are remarkably clear and not difficult to understand. The first four chapters describe the neurochemical and structural aspects of brain development. The chapter by Dziegielewska and Saunders discusses transport mechanisms and the properties of endogenous and exogenous substances that control the internal environment of the developing brain. In the second chapter, Nowakowski reports on his studies of the develop ment of the hippocampus in mice genetically inbred to exhibit disruptions of neural migration.

What is schizophrenia? This is one of the most controversial questions in psychiatry and mental health research; however, in the last twenty years, there have been significant advances in our understanding of the topic. This book provides a balanced, comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the neuropathology of schizophrenia and its interpretation, covering the latest evidence derived from all fields of research, from brain scans to microscopy. The authors include many of the foremost international authorities in this rapidly developing field.

This is the third meeting we have organized which has explored the meaning of fetal neural developmental disruption in the etiology of schiwphrenia. The first was sponsored by the Schiwphrenia Research Branch with the scientific cooperation of Dr. David Shore. We met in Washington; the output of the meeting was published in a book entitled, Fetal Neural Development and Adult Schizophrenia. Cambridge University Press. 1991. The next meeting was an Advanced Research Workshop sponsored by NATO and was held at n Ciocco. Castelvecchio Pascoli. This meeting was reported in a NATO volume. Developmental Neuropathology of Schizophrenia and was edited by Mednick. Cannon. Barr and La Fosse. The current meeting has noted several advances in the field. There are additional psychiatric illnesses which have been found to be related to maternal viral infection in the second trimester. There have been studies reported which have definitely observed a viral infection in the mothers of fetuses who later evidenced schirophrenia. More evidence has been published which has replicated the "second-trimester effect." In the future studies will be wise to provide serological evidence of a viral infection and information on the precise viruses involved. Another important step will be to determine whether second-trimester maternal viral infection is related to a behavioral deficit in the infant. If neural development has been compromised. it might be possible to detect deficits in the infant with the proper measures. We look forward to future meetings at which these new areas might be explored.

In the past few decades, neuropathology has witnessed a resurgence. The rise of structural and functional imaging techniques has allowed pathological studies to target regions of special interest as revealed by whole-brain techniques, and the development of comprehensive software packages has facilitated cellular and pathological measurements. Furthermore, a new generation of antibodies and improved staining methods has made the field more accessible to researchers and revealed more detail than could once have been envisaged. Perhaps most important of all has been the sourcing of high-quality tissue through modern, large-scale databases covering multiple tissue banks, removing much of the heterogeneity that had made repeat studies all but impossible. The Neuropathology of Schizophrenia reviews the field following these recent improvements in techniques and contrasting more modern methods against older studies. This book presents the current state of neuropathological knowledge in schizophrenia by means of examination of neuropathology as informed by functional systems. It starts by considering the frontal cortical region, a particularly well-examined region of the brain, before moving through other cortical regions, subcortical pathways and the deep white matter. In addition, potential new routes for investigation are considered, particularly in glial cells.

This book was originally published in 2004 and concerns developmental neurobiology. In the decade preceding publication, developmental neurobiology made important strides towards elucidating the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Nowhere has this link between basic science and clinical insights become clearer than in the field of schizophrenia research. Each contributor to this volume provides a fresh overview of the relevant research, including directions for further investigation. The book begins with a section on advances in developmental neurobiology. This is followed by sections on etiological and pathophysiological developments, and models that integrate this knowledge. The final section addresses the clinical insights that emerge from the developmental models. This book will be valuable to researchers in psychiatry and neurobiology, students in psychology, and all mental health practitioners.

Brain disordersâ€"neurological, psychiatric, and developmentalâ€"now affect at least 250 million people in the developing world, and this number is expected to rise as life expectancy increases. Yet public and private health systems in developing countries have paid relatively little attention to brain disorders. The negative attitudes, prejudice, and stigma that often surround many of these disorders have contributed to this neglect. Lacking proper diagnosis and treatment, millions of individual lives are lost to disability and death. Such conditions exact both personal and economic costs on families, communities, and nations. The report describes the causes and risk factors associated with brain disorders. It focuses on six representative brain disorders that are prevalent in developing countries: developmental disabilities, epilepsy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and stroke. The report makes detailed recommendations of ways to reduce the toll exacted by these six disorders. In broader strokes, the report also proposes six major strategies toward reducing the overall burden of brain disorders in the developing world.

The Neurobiology of Schizophrenia begins with an overview of the various facets and levels of schizophrenia pathophysiology, ranging systematically from its genetic basis over changes in neurochemistry and electrophysiology to a systemic neural circuits level. When possible, the editors point out connections between the various systems. The editors also depict methods and research strategies used in the respective field. The individual backgrounds of the two editors promote a synthesis between basic neuroscience and clinical relevance. Provides a comprehensive overview of neurobiological aspects of schizophrenia Discusses schizophrenia at behavioral, cognitive, clinical, electrophysiological, molecular, and genetic levels Edited by a translational researcher and a psychiatrist to promote synthesis between basic neuroscience and clinical relevance Elucidates connections between the various systems depicted, when possible

Schizophrenia may not be a single disease, but the result of a diverse set of related conditions. Modern neuroscience is beginning to reveal some of the genetic and environmental underpinnings of schizophrenia; however, an approach less well travelled is to examine the medical disorders that produce symptoms resembling schizophrenia. This book is the first major attempt to bring together the diseases that produce what has been termed 'secondary schizophrenia'. International experts from diverse backgrounds ask the questions: does this medical disorder, or drug, or condition cause psychosis? If yes, does it resemble schizophrenia? What mechanisms form the basis of this relationship? What implications does this understanding have for aetiology and treatment? The answers are a feast for clinicians and researchers of psychosis and schizophrenia. They mark the next step in trying to meet the most important challenge to modern neuroscience – understanding and conquering this most mysterious of human diseases.