A consideration of the increased risk of schizophrenia due to prenatal maternal stress, and the possible role of microglia

Mawson, Eleanor R. and Morris, Brian J. 2023. A consideration of the increased risk of schizophrenia due to prenatal maternal stress, and the possible role of microglia. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 125 , 110773. 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110773

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Abstract

Schizophrenia is caused by interaction of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Of the latter, prenatal exposure to maternal stress is reportedly associated with elevated disease risk. The main orchestrators of inflammatory processes within the brain are microglia, and aberrant microglial activation/function has been proposed to contribute to the aetiology of schizophrenia. Here, we evaluate the epidemiological and preclinical evidence connecting prenatal stress to schizophrenia risk, and consider the possible mediating role of microglia in the prenatal stress-schizophrenia relationship. Epidemiological findings are rather consistent in supporting the association, albeit they are mitigated by effects of sex and gestational timing, while the evidence for microglial activation is more variable. Rodent models of prenatal stress generally report lasting effects on offspring neurobiology. However, many uncertainties remain as to the mechanisms underlying the influence of maternal stress on the developing foetal brain. Future studies should aim to characterise the exact processes mediating this aspect of schizophrenia risk, as well as focussing on how prenatal stress may interact with other risk factors.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Medicine
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0278-5846
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	1 April 2025
Date of Acceptance:	18 April 2023
Last Modified:	01 Apr 2025 14:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/171596

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