While preparing for the 6 week Psychiatry rotation that begins tomorrow morning, I came across this:
In those who present with Schizophrenia, it is common to find areas of the brain that are less developed or degenerated. In addition, the ventricles (the space inside the brain that helps to produce and house cerebral spinal fluid) may be larger. In some cases the degenerative process can progress with time. In contrast, new studies indicate that those with Autism Spectrum Disorder start with a normal size brain at birth, but it “exhibits an accelerated increase in volume by the end of the first year compared to the typically developing child, and this process continues from ages 2 to 4 years.”
Both scenarios have led to fascinating insights and further research into the complicated chemical signals and genes that guide brain development . We still have so much to learn.
