Recent results in research on schizophrenia in biological psychiatry

According to the current view, schizophrenia pathogenetically cannot be att ributed to only a single causative factor, but rather arises from a complex pattern of pathogenetic conditions. Psychiatric genetics demonstrates the existence of genetic conditions, but nontheless the inheritance of schizoph renia does not fit simple Mendelian models. Additionally, gender difference s, neurostructural abnormalities, and psychosocial deficiencies have also b een proposed to play an important part in the etiology of schizophrenic psy choses. The research for neurochemical correlates of schizophrenia has shif ted in recent years from the classical dopamine hypothesis to an increased set of various neurotransmitter imbalance models involving not only the dop aminergic system but also glutaminergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, and GAB A-ergic transmission. With increased sophistication of biological investiga tion and pharmacological treatment, it becomes more Important to differenti ate between subcategories of schizophrenia that may require special therape utic regimes.