New insights on the neuroanatomy of schizophrenia

Recent ideas and research evidence about the neuroanatomy of schizophrenia come to us from diverse sources. These include 1) conventional (magnetic resonance imaging morphometry); 2) novel (diffusion tensor imaging) structural anatomic techniques; 3) information on patterns of anatomic changes from longitudinal anatomic studies; 4) illumination of functional connectivity and pathway anomalies associated with the disorder; 5) family studies on the distribution of anatomic abnormalities within affected and unaffected family members; and 6) anatomic distributions of neurotransmitters and their receptors, as well as their response to drugs used to treat the disorder. Taken together, these new data provide an exciting look at the direction in which the field is headed.