As we saw in chapter 3, those disorders result from a functional defect, in which properly built neural circuits fail to work correctly. Such defects can often be reversed. Schizophrenia, like autism spectrum disorders, involves an anatomical defect, in which certain neural circuits fail to develop correctly. To remedy these anatomical defects in schizophrenia, scientists will have to think of some way to either intervene in synaptic pruning during development or create compounds that stimulate the growth of new spines later on.
