"The 22q11 deletion mouse model allows us to explore how these mutations alter brain function and the abnormal behavior that we see in schizophrenia patients. This is exactly what our study and our research program on 22q11, in general, has accomplished," said Dr. Gogos.

"We now know that one of the consequences of that deletion is to disrupt functional communication between these two brain regions, and we have evidence from the study that the disruption actually has an impact on a cognitive behavior that is disrupted in patients, so it gives us a really strong indication of how the deletion can contribute to the development of schizophrenia," he added. "It is possible that similar abnormalities in functional connectivity may also account for other symptoms of the disease, and can be used to better assess treatment response, and, most importantly, to develop new medications."

Next, the researchers plan to test the structural links between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, since it appears likely that synchrony between these two regions is mediated through anatomical connections. The researchers will examine how the anatomical and synaptic properties of these connections change in this mouse model and will aim to identify the genes that account for this change.

Authors of the Nature study are Torfi Sigurdsson, Kimberly L. Stark, Maria Karayiorgou, Joseph A. Gogos and Joshua A. Gordon.

This study was supported in part by the Simons Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the Lieber Center of Schizophrenia Research and Treatment.

Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not a split personality; it is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects just over one percent of the adult population and is characterized by loss of contact with reality (psychosis), hallucinations (usually, hearing voices), firmly held false beliefs (delusions), abnormal thinking, a restricted range of emotions (flattened affect) or inappropriate and disorganized behavior, social withdrawal, and diminished motivation.

The disease often strikes in the early adult years, and although many individuals experience some recovery, many others experience substantial and lifelong disability. People with schizophrenia often have problems functioning in society and in relationships and are over-represented on disability rolls and among the homeless and imprisoned.

What precisely causes schizophrenia is not known, but current research suggests a combination of hereditary and environmental factors. Fundamentally, however, it is a biologic problem (involving changes in the brain), not one caused by poor parenting or a mentally unhealthy environment.

Source: Columbia Psychiatry