Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2025

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
The role of the insula in cognitive impairment of schizophrenia
Susanna Gebhardt1,2, Henry A Nasrallah2
1University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH.
Abstract:
Cognitive impairment is one of the core clinical symptom domains of schizophrenia. Research shows that cognitive deficits in this neuropsychiatric syndrome is associated with neurodevelopmental pathology affecting multiple brain regions such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the parietal lobe. The insula is a relatively small structure that is highly connected with several brain regions as well as multiple brain networks. A large number of studies have reported the involvement of the insula in many of the psychotic and nonpsychotic manifestations of schizophrenia. Here we review the role of the insula as a hub across key neurocircuits which have been implicated in the various cognitive pathologies in schizophrenia. Structural and functional abnormalities in the right and left insulae may serve as a biomarker for susceptibility to schizophrenia.
Related Concept Videos
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes...
Role of Hippocampus in Memory
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...

