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Schizophrenia as a transcallosal misconnection syndrome
1Prince of Wales International Centre, University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
Schizophrenia Research
|April 29, 1998
Summary
Schizophrenic symptoms may stem from differing brain wiring, particularly in language areas. Abnormal connectivity between brain hemispheres, especially in late-developing regions, is linked to these core symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Linguistics
Background:
- Schizophrenia is characterized by symptoms potentially linked to hemispheric specialization and language processing.
- Language is a complex, bihemispheric function involving independent yet interacting hemispheric components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the hypothesis that inter-individual variability in hemispheric connectivity underlies schizophrenic symptoms.
- To investigate the role of genetic factors and sex-specific brain development in hemispheric segregation related to language.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of existing theories on brain lateralization and language.
- Review of neurobiological models linking hemispheric connectivity to cognitive functions.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenic symptoms are hypothesized to arise from impaired segregation between language-related hemispheric functions.
- Abnormal connectivity, particularly in late-developing, sex-differentiated regions, is implicated in the failure of this segregation.
Conclusions:
- Variability in white matter tracts connecting asymmetrical language regions may explain schizophrenic symptom heterogeneity.
- The evolution of language and subsequent hemispheric independence may be a critical factor in understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia.