29 May 2008
Schizophrenia and viral infection during neurodevelopment: a pathogenesis model?
Valeriu Fruntes, Frederic LimosinMed Sci Monit 2008; 14(6): RA71-77 :: ID: 859025
Abstract
The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia proposes that a portion of schizophrenia is the result of an early brain insult which affects brain development and in which several types of virus might play an etiological role. The main arguments in favor of the neurodevelopmental hypothesis and the involvement of prenatal exposure to virus infection as a risk factor for adult schizophrenia are reviewed. Schizophrenia is associated with an increased incidence of craniofacial asymmetries and dermatoglyphic irregularities which might reflect an abnormal development of the ectoderm and the neural crest as a result of a viral infection between the first and second trimester of pregnancy. The brain histology of deceased schizophrenic patients shows disturbed neuronal migration and formations such as disorganized lamina strata or ectopic pyramidal cells, abnormal expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule, and absence of gliosis. The main epidemiological arguments are derived from studies of obstetrical complications and influenza virus infection during pregnancy, both considered to be early risk factors of schizophrenia. Because no virus has been consistently linked with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, the most plausible hypothesis is that an endemic virus could initiate schizophrenia by direct brain lesion or by triggering an autoimmune response during the neurodevelopmental period on a genetically susceptible brain. In a neurodevelopmental model, the viral hypothesis is a step toward the goal of building a comprehensive theory that integrates the environmental, genetic, immune, and neuropsychological features of schizophrenia.
Keywords: Schizophrenia - virology, Nervous System - virology, Models, Biological, Virus Diseases - complications
608 16
Editorial
01 June 2023 : Editorial
Editorial: Infectious Disease Surveillance Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its Role in Epidemic and Pandemic PreparednessDOI: 10.12659/MSM.941209
Med Sci Monit 2023; 29:e941209
In Press
01 Jun 2023 : Clinical Research
Root Canal Numbers and Configurations in 1080 Permanent Canine Teeth in 270 Saudi Subjects Using Cone-Beam ...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.940472
01 Jun 2023 : Clinical Research
Internal Orifice Alloy Closure: A New Procedure for Treatment of Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s DiseaseMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.940873
01 Jun 2023 : Clinical Research
Effectiveness of Needle Aspiration versus Surgical Excision for Symptomatic Synovial Cysts of the Hip: A Si...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.940187
01 Jun 2023 : Clinical Research
Influence of Insulin Resistance on Diabetes NephropathyMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.939482
Most Viewed Current Articles
13 Nov 2021 : Clinical Research
Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination and Its Associated Factors Among Cancer Patients Attending the Oncology ...DOI :10.12659/MSM.932788
Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e932788
30 Dec 2021 : Clinical Research
Retrospective Study of Outcomes and Hospitalization Rates of Patients in Italy with a Confirmed Diagnosis o...DOI :10.12659/MSM.935379
Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e935379
08 Mar 2022 : Review article
A Review of the Potential Roles of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Pharmacological Approaches for the Man...DOI :10.12659/MSM.936292
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e936292
01 Jan 2022 : Editorial
Editorial: Current Status of Oral Antiviral Drug Treatments for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Non-Hospitalized Pa...DOI :10.12659/MSM.935952
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e935952