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Biological Causes of Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
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Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...

Schizophrenia

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra

Published on: September 8, 2021

Metabolic changes in schizophrenia and human brain evolution.

Philipp Khaitovich¹, Helen E Lockstone, Matthew T Wayland

¹Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, PR China. khaitovich@eva.mpg.de

|August 7, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Human brain evolution and cognition may be linked to changes in energy metabolism. Alterations in genes and metabolites related to energy use are seen in schizophrenia and during human evolution, suggesting adaptive metabolic changes.

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Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra

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Published on: September 8, 2021

Derivation, Expansion, Cryopreservation and Characterization of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

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Published on: November 19, 2020

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Neuroscience
Metabolomics

Background:

The molecular basis of human cognitive evolution remains largely unknown.
Comparative genomics and transcriptomics offer insights but struggle to pinpoint relevant molecular pathways.
Identifying key molecular changes driving human cognition requires integrated approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate molecular changes in the human brain related to cognitive evolution.
To compare these changes with alterations observed in schizophrenia, a disorder affecting cognition.
To identify potential molecular pathways and evolutionary pressures on human brain function.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of gene expression and metabolite concentrations in the human brain.
Examination of molecular changes associated with schizophrenia.
Assessment of evolutionary changes in genes and metabolites potentially linked to positive selection.

Main Results:

Genes and metabolites involved in energy metabolism and high-energy brain functions are altered in schizophrenia.
These same metabolic pathways show rapid changes during recent human evolution.
Evidence suggests these changes may be a result of positive selection.

Conclusions:

Human cognitive evolution appears linked to adaptive changes in brain metabolism.
These metabolic adaptations may have pushed the human brain towards its energetic limits.
Understanding brain metabolism is crucial for comprehending human cognitive evolution and neurological disorders.