Alteraciones de la función y el área visuales en la esquizofrenia

Structural and functional alterations of the brain in schizophrenia are most commonly reported for regions involved in high-order processing of stimuli. However, different lines of evidence support that such alterations may spread to primary sensory regions, such as primary visual area. In this article, we review the evidence supporting a deficit in complex visual processing in schizophrenia, as well as significant activity differences in the visual region between patients and controls. Moreover, we review data showing that even the structure of the region may change with certain treatments with relevant clinical consequences. These results may contribute to a better comprehension of the substrate underlying psychoses and suggest diffuse rather than localized cerebral alterations in that syndrome.