J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1997; 9:460-470
Copyright © 1997 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
The medial temporal lobe in schizophrenia
SE Arnold
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA. alveus@mail.med.upenn.edu
Evidence from diverse avenues of research has highlighted abnormalities in
the anatomy, physiology, and function of medial temporal lobe structures in
schizophrenia. Clinical similarities between schizophrenia and psychotic
disorders associated with temporal lobe lesions have been recognized for
decades. Neuropsychological studies have found selective impairments in
learning and memory in schizophrenia consistent with medial temporal lobe
dysfunction. Neuroimaging studies have identified medial temporal lobe
abnormalities that have been correlated with clinical features. Postmortem
findings in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex have included differences
in neuron density, size, and arrangement; abnormalities in synapse-related
proteins; alterations in monoaminergic and glutamatergic innervation and
receptor distribution; and abnormalities in the expression of cytoskeletal
proteins. These findings appear most consistent with models of aberrant
development of medial temporal lobe structures in schizophrenia.
