Skewing of the brain midline in schizophrenia

Our laboratory has observed marked craniofacial dysmorphology along the fro ntonasal-maxillary juncture in schizophrenic probands and their relatives. Embryologic fate-mapping studies relate this craniofacial juncture to the d iencephalic-mesencephalic border, and on the basis of this correspondence w e have predicted brain midline maldevelopment arising at this border in sch izophrenia. Analysis of magnetic resonance images has borne out this predic tion, with midline deviation scores in schizophrenia exceeding control valu es. High deviation scores were also observed among the siblings of these sc hizophrenic patients. Further, brain and face dysmorphology scores cohered within subjects, supporting this embryologically derived model. NeuroReport 11:3985-3988 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.