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Neuronal Misconnections and Psychiatric Disorder

Is There a Link?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Robert Goodman
Robert Goodman*
Affiliation:
Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH
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Abstract

Brain damage can induce anomalous neuronal connections in experimental animals, which can sometimes result in maladaptive behaviour, particularly when damage occurs early in development. Anomalous patterns of neuronal connection can also arise from genetic disorders. In humans, neuronal misconnections could be involved in a variety of psychiatric disorders. For example, they may account for the link between hyperkinesis and childhood hemiplegia, and for the link between schizophrenia and ‘alien tissue’ lesions of the temporal lobes. Predictions from misconnection hypotheses can potentially be tested in neuropathological, neurophysiological, and clinical studies.

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Comment
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 154 , Issue 3 , March 1989 , pp. 292 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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