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Pharmacopsychiatry 2004; 37: 136-140
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-832667
Schizophrenia
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Etiopathogenetic Mechanisms in Long-Term Course of Schizophrenia

P. Falkai1 , R. Tepest2 , T. G. Schulze2 , 3 , D. J. Müller2 , M. Rietschel2 , 3 , W. Maier2 , F. Träber6 , W. Block6 , H. H. Schild6 , H. Steinmetz7 , W. Gaebel4 , W. G. Honer5 , T. Schneider-Axmann1 , M. Wagner2
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of the Saarland
  • 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn
  • 3Division of Genetic Epidemiology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
  • 4Department of Psychiatry, University of Düsseldorf
  • 5Department of Psychiatry, University of Vancouver
  • 6Department of Radiology, University of Bonn
  • 7Department of Neurology, University of Frankfurt
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Publication History

Publication Date:
16 November 2004 (online)

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Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with a relapsing long-term course in 80 % of the sufferers. The underlying neurobiological principles of the long-term course are widely unknown. Therefore an attempt is made to evaluate data from structural imaging and neuropsychology to shed some light on these mechanisms. Interestingly there was a significant correlation between length of illness and volume reduction in the prefrontal grey matter in schizophrenia. There was a lack of such a correlation for the whole brain volume, white matter volume or the grey matter volume outside the prefrontal lobe. Furthermore none of the neuropsychological measures correlated with length of illness. Both findings are supported by data from prospective studies up to five years demonstrating a significant loss of frontal grey matter volume, but no change of cognitive dysfunction in the course of time. The attempt is made to connect prefrontal grey matter loss with post-mortem findings of reduced neuropil but preserved cytoarchitecture leading to recently described candidate genes and their function.

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Prof. Dr. med. Peter Falkai

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

University of the Saarland

66421 Homburg/Saar

Germany

Phone: +49 6841 162 4202

Fax: +49 6841 162 4270

Email: peter.falkai@uniklinik-saarland.de