WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BRAIN IN SCHIZOPHRENIA?
People with schizophrenia may have a chemical imbalance in the brain. They may be either very sensitive to or produce too much of a substance called dopamine. Dopamine is one of several brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that allow nerve cells to send messages to each other. Researchers have found several types of dopamine receptors in different parts of the brain. Other neurotransmitters and their receptors also may be affected in people with schizophrenia. Researchers have used modern techniques to show the differences between the brains of people with schizophrenia and those of mentally healthy people. Specialized tests that produce images (scans) of the inside of the brain show differences in the size and shape of certain brain structures in people with schizophrenia compared with those of mentally healthy people. For example, in people with schizophrenia, there is enlargement of the fluid-filled cavities of the brain called ventricles. Similarly, there is a decrease in the size o
