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

Schizophrenia01:17

Schizophrenia

980
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...
980
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Biological Causes of Schizophrenia

633
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...
633
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

626
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...
626
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia01:30

Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

584
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
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,...
584
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

2.0K
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...
2.0K
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions01:30

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions

656
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...
656

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Characterization of [<sup>3</sup>H]MCL-524, a Potent Dopamine D<sub>2</sub> <sup>high</sup> Receptor Agonist.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

The NeuroBioBank whole-genome catalogue of human brain donors with central nervous system disorders.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same author

The single-cell opioid responses in the context of HIV (SCORCH) consortium.

Molecular psychiatry·2024
Same author

Single-cell multi-cohort dissection of the schizophrenia transcriptome.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2024
Same author

Systematic investigation of allelic regulatory activity of schizophrenia-associated common variants.

Cell genomics·2023
Same author

Gabrb3 endothelial cell-specific knockout mice display abnormal blood flow, hypertension, and behavioral dysfunction.

Scientific reports·2022

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Derivation of Leptomeninges Explant Cultures from Postmortem Human Brain Donors
05:18

Derivation of Leptomeninges Explant Cultures from Postmortem Human Brain Donors

Published on: January 21, 2017

8.6K

Decoding schizophrenia through postmortem human brain transcriptomics.

W Brad Ruzicka1, Sivan Subburaju2

  • 1Laboratory for Epigenomics in Human Psychopathology, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|February 4, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Schizophrenia involves subtle gene expression changes, particularly in excitatory neurons of the prefrontal cortex. These alterations, including downregulated synaptic genes, highlight transcriptional dysregulation as a core feature of this complex brain disorder.

More Related Videos

Neuronal Nuclei Isolation from Human Postmortem Brain Tissue
10:58

Neuronal Nuclei Isolation from Human Postmortem Brain Tissue

Published on: October 1, 2008

22.6K
Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue
18:17

Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue

Published on: August 6, 2009

31.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Derivation of Leptomeninges Explant Cultures from Postmortem Human Brain Donors
05:18

Derivation of Leptomeninges Explant Cultures from Postmortem Human Brain Donors

Published on: January 21, 2017

8.6K
Neuronal Nuclei Isolation from Human Postmortem Brain Tissue
10:58

Neuronal Nuclei Isolation from Human Postmortem Brain Tissue

Published on: October 1, 2008

22.6K
Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue
18:17

Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue

Published on: August 6, 2009

31.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Schizophrenia is a heritable neuropsychiatric disorder affecting ~1% of the population.
  • Its pathophysiology remains unclear due to a lack of gross neuropathological changes.
  • Transcriptomic profiling of postmortem brain tissue offers insights into molecular architecture.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize findings from transcriptomics studies on schizophrenia.
  • To elucidate the molecular underpinnings of schizophrenia pathophysiology.
  • To identify cell types and gene expression patterns associated with schizophrenia.

Main Methods:

  • Review of case-control bulk tissue transcriptomics studies.
  • Analysis of single-nucleus transcriptomics data.
  • Synthesis of findings from multiple large-scale consortia.

Main Results:

  • Schizophrenia exhibits widespread, subtle gene expression changes in the prefrontal cortex, concentrated in excitatory neurons.
  • Consistent downregulation of synaptic and metabolic genes observed.
  • Secondary activation of glial populations noted.
  • Transcriptional alterations are cell type-specific and heterogeneous, with upper-layer excitatory neurons being particularly vulnerable.

Conclusions:

  • Transcriptional dysregulation is a core feature of schizophrenia pathophysiology.
  • Single-cell resolution reveals cell type-specific and individual heterogeneity in molecular alterations.
  • Future research should expand cohorts, brain regions, and employ advanced techniques like spatial transcriptomics.