Brain Tissue Loss in Adolescent Schizophrenia MRI scan composites reveal brain tissue loss in adolescents diagnosed with schizophrenia. Normal brains show minimal loss due to “pruning” (top) Early-deficit scans reveal loss in the parietal areas (middle); individuals at this stage may experience symptoms such as hallucinations or bizarre thoughts. Scans 5 years later reveal extensive tissue loss over much of the cortex (bottom); individuals at this stage are likely to suffer from delusions, disorganized speech and behaviour, and negative symptoms such as social withdrawal (Thompson et al., 2001).

THOMPSON ET AL. (2001)