Schizencephaly associated with psychosis
- aCenter for Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, bDepartment of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA, cDepartment of Radiology, dDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, V6H 326
- Dr Robert C Alexander, Medical Research Service (151), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University and Woodland Avenues, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
- Received 2 July 1996
- Revised 7 January 1997
- Accepted 7 March 1997
Abstract
Schizencephaly is a rare disorder of brain development resulting in the formation of abnormal unilateral or bilateral clefts in the cerebral hemispheres. It is often accompanied by partial seizures, mental retardation, and hemiparesis. Two patients are described with clear psychotic symptoms with either unilateral or bilateral schizencephaly. The implications of the association between schizencephaly and psychosis in these patients for understanding the biology of the psychoses are discussed.
