Bridging the Gap: Prenatal Nutrition, Myelination, and Schizophrenia Etiopathogenesis.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex mental illness characterized by disturbances in thinking, emotionality, and behavior, significantly impacting the quality of life for individuals affected and those around them. The etiology of SZ involves intricate interactions between genetic and environmental factors, although the precise mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Genetic predisposition, neurotransmitter dysregulation (particularly involving dopamine and serotonin), and structural brain abnormalities, including impaired prefrontal cortex function, have been implicated in SZ development. However, increasing evidence reveals the role of environmental factors, such as nutrition, during critical periods like pregnancy and lactation. Epidemiological studies suggest that early malnutrition significantly increases the risk of SZ symptoms manifesting in late adolescence, a crucial period coinciding with peak myelination and brain maturation. Prenatal undernutrition may disrupt myelin formation, rendering individuals more susceptible to SZ pathology. This review explores the potential relationship between prenatal undernutrition, myelin alterations, and susceptibility to SZ. By delineating the etiopathogenesis, examining genetic and environmental factors associated with SZ, and reviewing the relationship between SZ and myelination disorders, alongside the impact of malnutrition on myelination, we aim to examine how malnutrition might be linked to SZ by altering myelination processes, which contribute to increasing the understanding of SZ etiology and help identify targets for intervention and management. Significance Statement: Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex psychopathology with a multifactorial etiology, primarily associated with changes in the development and functioning of the central nervous system. This review examines the impact of undernutrition as a crucial factor linked to SZ. Undernutrition can interfere with normal neurodevelopmental processes during the early stages of life, disrupting the myelination process. Alterations in myelination in areas such as the prefrontal cortex and associative sensory regions are correlated with the emergence of characteristic psychotic symptoms in SZ. This generates a new area for research and the possibility of seeking new therapeutic alternatives for SZ.

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Conflicts of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.