What are the structural brain changes in schizophrenia?
The literature on brain structure in schizophrenia is controversial and contradictory, with many regions reported to be structurally abnormal 1 and too extensive to be covered in detail here. However, there are a few key findings worthy of mention. The most common finding in structural imaging in schizophrenia is of enlarged lateral ventricles (the fluid-filled spaces in the brain). There is some evidence that the volume of the brain is reduced in people with schizophrenia, although this is controversial, 2 and of a smaller cerebral cortex (the surface of the brain containing neurons). 3 Frontal lobes People with schizophrenia often show impaired performance on tests of frontal lobe function. Functional imaging studies have most commonly reported abnormal frontal lobe activity (LINK TO FUNCTIONAL IMAGING SECTION). The evidence from structural imaging studies, however, is much less conclusive about the frontal lobes. Although there is evidence of reduced volume of some frontal lobe regi
