Schizophrenia is characterized by a complex array of symptoms that include
hallucinations, delusions, abnormal affect, and cognitive deficits. It is b
ecoming increasingly apparent that the symptoms of the disorder are paralle
led by equally complex functional and structural abnormalities In brain reg
ions such as the temporal lobe, prefrontal cortex, and thalamus. In additio
n, the delayed onset of symptoms in late adolescence/early adulthood sugges
ts that abnormal development of the nervous system may ultimately contribut
e to the neurobiology of the disorder. The present review focuses on clinic
al and basic research that, together, suggests abnormal development of the
dopamine (DA) innervation of prefrontal cortex plays a role in the cognitiv
e deficits of schizophrenia.