Electron microscopic study on schizophrenia

Biopsies of a frontal gyrus from both schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic brains were examined by electron microscopy. The results in the schizophrenic brains are as follows: 1. Within the cytoplasm of the nerve cell, the Golgi apparatus was remarkably prominent. 2. Membranous structures, consisting of numerous interconnected tubules were observed in the nerve fibres. Abnormal structures appeared in the synapses and in many synapses vesicles were not observed. 3. Granular and vesicular material accumulated in large amount in the axon-oligodendroglial interface of myelinated nerve fibres: the material was gradually transferred from the axon-oligodendroglial interface to the inner mesoaxon and the outer layers of the myelin sheaths destroying some of the myelin sheaths. Mainly myelinated nerve fibres of medium size were involved. 4. A large amount of lipofuscin-like material was observed in the cytoplasm and the processes of the oligodendroglia. 5. Only the neuron and the oligodendroglia showed specific changes. Among the findings mentioned above, (3) was thought to be specific and originated from the disturbance of the metabolism of the neuron, due probably to some enzyme disturbance in the neuron.