The development of these neural systems, particularly during adolescence, is also under investigation. In each set of studies, the macaque monkey is used as a model of the human brain. A major goal of these studies is the generation of testable hypotheses regarding the elements of cortical circuitry that may be dysfunctional in schizophrenia. These hypotheses are then tested in postmortem human brains from subjects with schizophrenia. Decreased dendritic spine density on prefrontal cortical pyramidal neurons in schizophrenia.
Recent findings converge on altered thalamic-prefrontal cortical connectivity.