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Clinical anatomy of the precuneus and pathogenesis of the schizophrenia

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Abstract

Recent evidence has shown that the precuneus plays a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The precuneus is a structure of the parietal lobe's medial and posterior cortex, representing a central hub involved in multimodal integration processes. Although neglected for several years, the precuneus is highly complex and crucial for multimodal integration. It has extensive connections with different cerebral areas and is an interface between external stimuli and internal representations. In human evolution, the precuneus has increased in size and complexity, allowing the development of higher cognitive functions, such as visual-spatial ability, mental imagery, episodic memory, and other tasks involved in emotional processing and mentalization. This paper reviews the functions of the precuneus and discusses them concerning the psychopathological aspects of schizophrenia. The different neuronal circuits, such as the default mode network (DMN), in which the precuneus is involved and its alterations in the structure (grey matter) and the disconnection of pathways (white matter) are described.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

    Antonino Messina & Maria Salvina Signorelli

  2. Mental Health Department, Enna, Italy

    Giuseppe Cuccì

  3. Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, “Kore” University, Enna, Italy

    Caterina Crescimanno

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  1. Antonino Messina
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  2. Giuseppe Cuccì
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  3. Caterina Crescimanno
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  4. Maria Salvina Signorelli
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Correspondence to Antonino Messina.

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Messina, A., Cuccì, G., Crescimanno, C. et al. Clinical anatomy of the precuneus and pathogenesis of the schizophrenia. Anat Sci Int 98, 473–481 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-023-00730-w

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