Schizophrenia - a parameters' game?

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe, currently incurable, relatively common mental condition. Its symptoms are complex and widespread. It structurally and functionally affects cortical and subcortical regions involved in cognitive, emotional and motivational aspects of behavior. Its cause is unknown, its diagnosis is based on statistical behavior and its treatment is elusive. Our paradigm addresses the complexity of schizophrenic symptoms. Building upon recent neural vulnerability and limbic dysregulation hypotheses, it offers a mathematical model for the evolution of the limbic system under perturbation. Dependence on parameters and the concept of "bifurcation" could be the key to understanding the threshold between "normality" and "disease".