Abstract
Positive symptoms of psychosis disrupt mentation. Do they also engineer brain cell death and deterioration? This hypothesis is currently popular as an explanation of the duration of untreated psychosis effect in early schizophrenia. The clinical and neurobiological evidence for its validity is visited and found wanting. Synaptic plasticity, not neurotoxicity, appears to be the mediating process.
MeSH terms
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Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
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Brain / drug effects
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Brain / physiopathology*
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Cell Survival / drug effects
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Cell Survival / physiology*
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Disease Progression
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Humans
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Nerve Net / drug effects
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Nerve Net / physiopathology
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / diagnosis
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / physiopathology*
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Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects
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Neuronal Plasticity / physiology
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Neurotoxicity Syndromes / diagnosis
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Neurotoxicity Syndromes / drug therapy
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Neurotoxicity Syndromes / physiopathology*
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Psychotic Disorders / diagnosis
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Psychotic Disorders / drug therapy
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Psychotic Disorders / physiopathology*
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Schizophrenia / diagnosis
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Schizophrenia / drug therapy
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Schizophrenia / physiopathology*
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Synapses / drug effects
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Synapses / physiology