Biological studies of schizophrenia in Europe.

The main achievements in the field of genetics, biochemistry, and immunology of schizophrenia in the laboratories of European research centers are surveyed. Despite the rapid development of scientific research techniques and methodology, the abundant hypotheses on the pathogenesis of schizophrenia are riddled with so many contradictory facts that it is impossible to formulate any concrete model of the disease. One factor impeding the progress of biological research in schizophrenia is the inadequate development of standardized clinical descriptions. This is an obstacle to the study of clinical-biological correlates, which are among the principal criteria used to verify the importance of biological parameters chosen for study in the pathogenesis of the disease. A current strategy in the biology of schizophrenia, which may obviate some of those problems, is the discovery and study of biological markers.