Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

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...
Schizophrenia01:17

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a term introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911, describes a severe psychological disorder marked by profound disruptions in attention, thought processes, language, emotion, and interpersonal relationships. The core feature of schizophrenia is psychosis — a state characterized by a fundamental detachment from reality. This disconnection manifests through distorted logic, impaired perception, and atypical behavior, severely affecting the lives of those diagnosed.
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Biological Causes of Schizophrenia

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.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions01:30

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions

Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that can manifest with various positive symptoms, including thought, movement, and behavior disorders. These symptoms significantly disrupt cognitive and motor functions, leading to profound effects on an individual's ability to engage with the world.
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions01:26

Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by a range of symptoms that significantly impact cognition, behavior, and emotional regulation. Among these, the positive symptoms stand out as they involve the addition or exaggeration of normal mental functions, deviating markedly from typical behavior and perception. Hallucinations and delusions are prominent positive symptoms, each profoundly affecting the individual's experience of reality.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Associations of affective states and cognitive functions with eating behavior in healthy young Korean adults.

Physiology & behavior·2026
Same author

Associations among executive function, social functioning, emotional states, and eating behavior patterns in young adults.

Journal of psychiatric research·2026
Same author

Addiction spectrum disorder: a conceptual framework for comprehensive understanding of addictive disorders.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Bis{μ-1,3-bis-[dimeth-yl(pyridin-3-yl)sil-yl]propane-κ<sup>2</sup> <i>N</i>:<i>N</i>'}bis-[di-iodido-zinc(II)] from synchrotron data.

IUCrData·2026
Same author

Modulatory effects of <i>Hizikia fusiformis</i> on the dopaminergic system in a neonatal habenular lesion-induced attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-like rodent model.

Nutrition research and practice·2026
Same author

Crystal structure of poly[μ-diphen-yl(pyridin-4-yl)phosphane-κ<sup>2</sup> <i>N</i>:<i>P</i>-μ-tri-fluoro-acetato-κ<sup>2</sup> <i>O</i>:<i>O</i>'-silver(I)] from synchrotron data.

Acta crystallographica. Section E, Crystallographic communications·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Na&#239;ve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
05:52

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis

Published on: November 21, 2013

Is schizophrenia developmental adaptation to environmental menaces?

Yukiori Goto1, Young-A Lee

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. yukiori.goto@mcgill.ca

Medical Hypotheses
|August 16, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Schizophrenia may be an adaptive biological state, not a disorder. Prenatal environmental challenges could explain developmental deficits and later symptom onset in schizophrenia.

More Related Videos

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
13:08

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
10:32

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 30, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Na&#239;ve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
05:52

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis

Published on: November 21, 2013

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
13:08

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
10:32

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Schizophrenia symptoms emerge in adulthood, but brain abnormalities suggest prenatal origins.
  • A gap exists in explaining the link between prenatal deficits and adult symptom onset.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel hypothesis linking prenatal environmental conditions to schizophrenia.
  • To explain the discrepancy between prenatal brain deficits and adult symptom emergence.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing evidence on schizophrenia development.
  • Formulation of a new hypothesis based on adaptation to prenatal environmental stress.

Main Results:

  • Schizophrenia may represent a biological adaptation to severe prenatal environmental conditions.
  • This adaptive state can account for prenatal developmental deficits and postnatal symptom maturation.

Conclusions:

  • Reconceptualizing schizophrenia as an adaptive biological state offers a new framework.
  • Understanding prenatal environmental influences is crucial for explaining schizophrenia's developmental trajectory.