Challenges, status, and opportunities for studying developmental neuropathology in adult schizophrenia

Neurodevelopmental theories of the pathoetiology of schizophrenia have been at the forefront of schizophrenia research in recent years. Support for these theories is substantial and growing. Epidemiological, phenomenological, and clinical neurobiological research have provided compelling though still circumstantial evidence. Neuropathological investigations also have provided some evidence; however, these have yet to actualize their potential for revealing the cellular and molecular nature of developmental aberrancies in this disease. This article summarizes the clinical evidence suggesting abnormal neurodevelopment in schizophrenia, outlines some of the important anatomic, cellular, and molecular mechanisms of normal central nervous system development, reviews current neuropathological findings relevant to neurodevelopment in schizophrenia, and suggests some new directions and opportunities for discovering the molecular neurodevelopmental basis of the disorder.