A neuregulin 1 variant associated with abnormal cortical function and psychotic symptoms

NRG1, encoding neuregulin 1, is a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia, but no functional mutation causally related to the disorder has yet been identified. Here we investigate the effects of a variant in the human NRG1 promoter region in subjects at high risk of schizophrenia. We show that this variant is associated with (i) decreased activation of frontal and temporal lobe regions, (ii) increased development of psychotic symptoms and (iii) decreased premorbid IQ.