White matter and cognitive function in schizophrenia

Abnormalities of cerebral white matter, oligodendrocytes, and myelin have been observed in schizophrenia with in-vivo imaging and post-mortem biochemistry. White-matter abnormalities are also frequently associated with cognitive impairment in both healthy and diseased individuals, and cognitive dysfunction is an important component of schizophrenia. While many studies have documented these associations, only a handful have examined the role of white matter in cognitive function in schizophrenia. In this paper, we explore what is known about white-matter deficits in relation to schizophrenia, cognitive deficits, or both together, in order to generate a theoretical model for the role that compromise of white matter might play in producing cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.