[Correlations between risk gene variants for schizophrenia and brain structure anomalies]

The specific etiologies of schizophrenia are largely unknown. Genetic predisposition constitutes an important, however, not exclusive risk factor for the development of schizophrenia. In recent years, a number of candidate genes were identified and have been consistently replicated. Magnetic resonance imaging studies have characterized structural changes in brain morphology, such as ventricular enlargement or volume reduction of the medial temporal structures and the superior temporal gyrus. Several studies have found correlations between gene variants and changes of brain morphology in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. In this review, publications examining correlations of schizophrenia susceptibility gene polymorphisms and structural brain anomalies in patients and healthy controls are described. An overview and a critical reflection of the current research are outlined. The results of genome-wide studies will soon provide a multitude of additional schizophrenia susceptibility genes. If and to what extent these genes exert an influence on the brain structure in the healthy and the diseased, can be clarified by gene structure correlations. Given the many possible gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, most variants will probably not show simple interactions with sizable effects.