Morphological Changes In Schizophrenia: Fact or Neuroleptic Exposure

Studies on the etiological mechanisms of schizophrenia have recently focused on the morphological changes in the prefrontal cortex. This study was designed to determine if the morphological changes seen in the fine structures in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia are due to neuroleptic exposure or the disease. The study employed MAP2 and Neurogranin Immunohistochemistry, Nissl staining and Golgi impregnation to analyze the pyramidal cells and their structures in areas 9 and 17 in a cohort of Huntington's brains and compared changes to that observed in subjects with schizophrenia and in controls. The data support the hypothesis suggesting that antipsychotic medication might not be responsible for the neuroanatomical changes observed in the neuropil of the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Furthermore, these studies provide additional insightful information for both schizophrenia and Huntington chorea.