Prenatal Immune Challenge Is an Environmental Risk Factor for Brain and Behavior Change Relevant to Schizophrenia: Evidence from MRI in a Mouse Model

Abstract

Our results provide the first experimental evidence that prenatal immune activation is an environmental risk factor for adult ventricular enlargement relevant to schizophrenia. The data indicate immune-associated environmental insults targeting early foetal development may have more extensive neurodevelopmental impact than identical insults in late prenatal life.