An expanded role for functional neuroimaging in schizophrenia

Functional magnetic resonance imaging is a surprisingly versatile tool in the quest for disentangling the complexities of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Yet, the identification of pathognomonic physiological features of the illness or even a consensus regarding the interpretation of reported findings remain unfulfilled goals, in spite of the increasing sophistication of this technology. Nonetheless, by providing quantification of brain function during various cognitive challenges, functional MRI has been used to leap ahead of these quandaries to identify relationships between genetic variation and brain function. By examining recent findings and efforts to link these findings to genes, this article will review these exciting developments in schizophrenia research.