A brief review of the neuroimaging modalities in schizophrenia and their scope

Abstract

Abstract Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder characterized by diverse symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorders in thinking, behavior and cognition. Its etiology is multifactorial involving genetic, environmental, developmental, and neurobiological factors. Neuroimaging studies have significantly contributed to understanding the underlying neural abnormalities associated with this disorder. Reduced brain volume was observed in frontal and temporal lobes in most studies using structural imaging techniques. Hypofrontality was observed in functional studies. Neuroimaging also aids in differentiating structural lesions causing symptoms mimicking schizophrenia. However, challenges persist due to variables such as age, gender, comorbidities, therapy history, substance use, and coexisting psychiatric conditions, which are often insufficiently controlled for, in the literature. This review article comprehensively consolidates the diagnostic and prognostic potential of various neuroimaging techniques in schizophrenia.