Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 21, 2025

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
08:50

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development

Published on: June 24, 2020

4.0K

Chorioamnionitis in utero, schizophrenia in adulthood: limited current evidence-future research focus?

Despina D Briana1, Ariadne Malamitsi-Puchner1

  • 1NICU, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|January 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal inflammation, specifically chorioamnionitis, may impact fetal brain development, potentially increasing schizophrenia risk in genetically susceptible individuals. This review explores the link between intrauterine inflammation and schizophrenia development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Early life programming during gestation can alter fetal brain development, affecting structure and function.
  • Schizophrenia's developmental origins are linked to prenatal factors like infections in genetically predisposed individuals.
  • Inflammatory-immune and oxidative stress pathways are implicated in intrauterine infection-induced neurodevelopmental disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current evidence on the association between chorioamnionitis and schizophrenia.
  • To address the knowledge gap in fetal programming of schizophrenia due to intrauterine inflammation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on chorioamnionitis and schizophrenia.
  • Consolidation of evidence from human and animal studies.

Main Results:

  • Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between prenatal infections, specifically chorioamnionitis, and schizophrenia development.
  • Genetic predisposition and epigenetic factors interact with environmental influences like inflammation.

Conclusions:

  • Chorioamnionitis represents a significant intrauterine inflammatory condition with potential implications for fetal brain programming.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms linking chorioamnionitis to schizophrenia.

Keywords:
Chorioamnionitisdevelopmental origins of health and diseasefetal/early life programmingintrauterine infection/inflammationneuropsychiatric disordersschizophrenia

More Related Videos

Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic PolyI:C07:13

Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic PolyI:C

Published on: March 25, 2016

19.1K
Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring09:09

Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring

Published on: August 17, 2022

2.0K

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...
310
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...
1.4K
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...
269
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...
500
Meiosis vs. Mitosis02:57

Meiosis vs. Mitosis

Cell division is necessary for growth and reproduction in organisms. Mitosis aids cell growth and development by dividing somatic cells. In contrast, meiosis causes the division of germ cells and plays an essential role in sexual reproduction. Due to their unique functional requirements, mitosis and meiosis differ from each other in multiple aspects.
Before the start of mitosis and meiosis I, the cell synthesizes DNA, resulting in two homologous copies of each chromosome. DNA synthesis is...
65.7K
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
3.7K