The entorhinal cortex and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Schizophrenia, a severe mental illness characterized by cognitive impairment and olfactory dysfunction, remains an enigma with its pathological mechanism yet to be fully elucidated. The entorhinal cortex, a pivotal structure involved in numerous neural loop circuits related to olfaction, cognition, and emotion, has garnered significant attention due to its structural and functional abnormalities, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. This review focuses on the abnormal structural and functional changes in the entorhinal cortex in schizophrenia patients, as evidenced by neuroimaging, cellular biology, and genetic studies. These changes are posited to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Furthermore, this review explores the various intervention strategies targeting the entorhinal cortex in current treatment modalities and proposes potential directions for future research endeavors, thereby providing a novel perspective on unraveling the complexity of neural mechanisms underlying schizophrenia and developing innovative therapeutic approaches for schizophrenia.