Toward a unified model of neurogenetics

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a common psychiatric disorder affecting 1% of the population worldwide. It is now believed to be a neurodevelopmental disorder but its diagnosis remains a clinical challenge due to the lack of biomarkers that can aid in its recognition (1-3). Although the initial insults leading to SZ are thought to occur during fetal life, thesymptoms do not usually appear until late adolescence and early adulthood. Schizophrenic symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, social withdrawal, and cognitive deficits such as working memory deficit.