Schizophrenia: A Disorder Of Neurodevelopment And Accelerated
Aging? Many lines of evidence indicate that schizophrenia is a
disorder of neurodevelopment. For example, genes implicated in
the heritable risk for schizophrenia are also implicated in the
development of nerve cells and their connections. Numerous
findings in brain imaging studies describe the changes in brain
structure and function associated with schizophrenia as emerging
early in the course of the disorder. Some early brain imaging
studies even found little or no evidence of progression of
structural deficits. Yet, a new generation of studies now also
describes degenerative processes in schizophrenia that resemble
accelerated aging. Schizophrenia is associated with an increased
risk of cardiovascular illnesses and persons with schizophrenia
have shorter average lifespans. Studies have also found that
individuals with schizophrenia have shortened telomeres, a
marker of aging. Structural imaging studies describe enhanced
reductions in gray and wh