Schizophrenia is hypothesized to be the result of an interaction between genetic
factors and insults during embryonic development.22 While a full understanding of
∗Author for correspondence 601602 J.-F. Wang et al. its origins and pathogenic mechanisms remain elusive, schizophrenia is generally considered to be a neurodevelopmental disorder.12 This idea is supported by brain imaging studies that have found diverse abnormalities in schizophrenia.4 For example, structural brain abnormalities, such as distortion of the corpus callosum and asymmetry of brain, have been recognized on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.11,14,17–19,35 Studies suggest that schizophrenia may be due to impaired neurodevelopment and might occur before the end of the second gestational trimester.
