New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Brain development during childhood appears to be less flexible in people with schizophrenia, especially in regions that link thought and feeling processes, according to a review.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, provide a neurobiological basis for the mental disorder, which is marked by an impaired ability to perceive reality and delusional beliefs.

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Researchers at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, stated that about 80 per cent of people with schizophrenia display impaired cognitive functioning. Symptoms can include hallucinations and highly disorganized behavior that may appear bizarre or purposeless.

The symptoms also vary greatly between individuals. For some patients, disturbances in perception are the main problem, while for others, cognitive impairments are more prevalent, the team said.

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"In this sense, there is not one schizophrenia, but many, each with different neurobiological profiles," said first author Wolfgang Omlor, a senior physician at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich.

However, the review found a uniform pattern of brain folding in the mid-frontal region -- responsible for attention, working memory, and language -- that suggested a developmental trait common to people with schizophrenia.

Brain folding occurs in the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, which is responsible for higher cognitive functions, such as decision-making and attention. More folding is linked with more advanced and complex cognitive abilities.

Because brain folding is largely completed in early childhood, brain development during this period appears to be less flexible in schizophrenia patients, particularly in areas responsible for linking thinking and feeling processes, the team said.

They also observed differences in brain structures of the patients, which could reflect the varying symptoms they might experience.

"While uniform brain folding may indicate possible mechanisms of disease development, regions with high variability in brain structure may be relevant for the development of individualized treatment strategies," said author Philipp Homan, a professor at the University of Zurich.

For the analysis, the researchers reviewed previously published studies involving brain scans of over 4,500 patients with schizophrenia.

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