SCHIZOPHRENIA 12 . 4 SCHIZOPHRENIA : NEUROBIOLOGY
New technologies, such as neuroimaging and molecular genetics, are removing the obstacles that once blocked major progress in the field and markedly altered the conception of the nature of schizophrenia.
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness affecting approximately 1 percent of the population. Beginning in early adulthood, schizophrenia typically causes a dramatic, lifelong impairment in social and occupational functioning. From a public health standpoint, the costs of treatment and lost productivity make this illness one of the most expensive disorders in medicine. Despite the tremendous economic and emotional costs, research on schizophrenia lags far behind that on other major medical disorders. A primary impediment to developing more effective treatment is the limited understanding of the etiology and neurobiology of this disorder. New technologies, such as neuroimaging and molecular genetics, are removing the obstacles that once blocked major progress in the field. Although the stigma associated with the illness has not yet been eliminated, these new techniques have markedly altered the conception of the nature of schizophrenia.