Schizophrenia is a disease with unknown pathophysiology and etiology. Until recently, what was best known about this disease was derived from clinical observations. Preclinical neuroscience is flourishing with discoveries and advances in all areas of brain function, particularly the cellular and the molecular.As a way to explain the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, Schizophrenia in a Molecular Age reviews neuroscience mechanisms and analyzes genetic determinants. It covers information on diagnosis, cognitive characteristics, functional imaging, animal modeling, and antipsychotic treatment.This book discusses new and evolving techniques of functional brain imaging and what they can tell us about normal brain function and its pathology. Data on the anatomic units of cognition and correlates with gene and protein units are persented. It discusses the molecular mechanisms of antipsychotic drug action and the group of new antipsychotics.Clinicians will learn new treatments to offer, including medications and psychological and psychosocial interventions, which are significantly better than previous treatment options. The new molecular age presents an exciting opportunity for schizophrenia research. This book is a helpful tool for clinicians in gaining a fuller understanding of schizophrenia.

Carol A. Tamminga, M.D., is Chief of the Inpatient Program at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland.

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