[Progressive structural abnormalities in the brain of the schizophrenic].

One hundred years ago, Kraepelin hypothesized that cerebral damage might cause dementia praecox. Many patients with schizophrenia show progressive clinical deterioration, although the evidence has remained unclear for the organic brain damage. Recently, brain abnormalities have been suggested, including enlargement of the lateral ventricles and reduction of the frontal and temporal lobes, due to the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Changes in brain structures have also been reported in the clinical course of schizophrenia. These structural brain studies have played important roles in clarifying the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and understanding the association of clinical symptoms with morphological brain change. However, there have been inconsistencies in the results on progressive structural changes. The selection of the patients, effects of medication, and social environmental factors may account for these inconsistencies. We have reviewed recent studies that found structural changes in the brain, including subcortical and ventricular of the schizophrenia.