Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2004 - Volume 27, Issue 06  


Short Communication

Schizophrenia is a disease of general connectivity more than a specifically “social brain” network

Conrado Bosman a1, Enzo Brunetti a1 and Francisco Aboitiz a1
a1 Departamento de Psiquiatría and Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta N 387, 2 Piso, Santiago 1, Chile cbosman@med.puc.cl ebrunett@med.puc.cl faboitiz@puc.cl www.neuro.cl

Abstract

Dysfunctions of the neural circuits that implement social behavior are necessary but not a sufficient condition to develop schizophrenia. We propose that schizophrenia represents a disease of general connectivity that impairs not only the “social brain” networks, but also different neural circuits related with higher cognitive and perceptual functions. We discuss possible mechanisms and evolutionary considerations.