Neurobiological investigations in cingulate cortex of schizophrenic brain.

Several studies have indicated that the pathophysiology of schizophrenia may involve discrete alterations of intrinsic circuits within the anterior cingulate cortex, particularly in layer II. These findings have suggested the possibility that a disturbance in neuronal migration or differentiation during the perinatal period could be related to these differences in schizophrenia subjects. To explore the idea that schizophrenia may be a neurodevelopmental disorder in which precise changes in synaptic connectivity occur, model circuits can be used as empirical tools for identifying the nature and origin of layer II abnormalities in the cortex of schizophrenic brain. Eventually, a strategy of this type may point the way to novel treatment approaches that will limit or perhaps even prevent the deterioration that occurs in patients with schizophrenia.