Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental illness of unknown aetiology for which there is presently no cure. However, over a century’s worth of research has resulted in important pathophysiological and therapeutic findings. Though strongly heritable, schizophrenia is a highly polygenic illness involving very small effects across hundreds of common variants. Small reductions in brain volume have been repeatedly documented, as well as an increment in striatal dopaminergic release. The most reliably effective treatment involves agents that block dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum, which though similarly efficacious, vary in terms of their side-effect profile. Only one drug, clozapine, has been found to be effective in schizophrenia patients who fail with other antipsychotic drugs. There is clearly a need for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying this debilitating illness.