Despite intensive worldwide attempts to clarify the pathogenesis of sc
hizophrenia many questions are still open. Evidence is accumulating to
suggest that structural abnormalities in various cortical and limbic
areas result at least partly from neurodevelopmental disturbances. Pre
natal and/or perinatal factors are supposed to play an important role.
There is a growing belief that acute schizophrenic symptomatology mig
ht be a result of deficits in the sensory filtering process at the lev
el of the thalamus. Several neurotransmitter systems have been implica
ted in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, supporting a neurotransmi
tter imbalance model. Dysfunctions of the dopaminergic and glutamaterg
ic systems may be predominantly involved.