Schizophrenia Imaging

Prospective Ultrasonographic and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Assessment of General and Brain Fetal Development in Offspring of Schizophrenic Patients

Schizophrenia is a common disorder with a lifetime prevalence of about 1%.Genetic studies strongly suggest a genetic component to the inheritance of schizophrenia. Structural neuroimaging studies have provided consistent evidence for brain abnormalities in schizophrenia. The timing of brain abnormalities in schizophrenia has not been determined yet.

The investigators hypothesize that brain structural changes can be detected in neonatal life. The investigators hypothesize that offspring of schizophrenic patients will have higher rates of brain structural changes in the neonatal period. The investigators propose to study early development of fetuses in offspring of patients with schizophrenia. The study is a multi-center prospective trial.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant women who carry an offspring of a schizophrenia patient: whether the mother, the father or both suffer from schizophrenia.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Alcohol or drug abuse of pregnant woman
• Past history or present occurrence of major neurologic or somatic illness
• Genetic disease
• Other psychiatric disorders other than schizophrenia such as Mental retardation
• Bipolar Disorder and Delusional Disorder