APA Dictionary of Psychology

a prominent theory stating that schizophrenia results from an early brain lesion, either fetal or neonatal, that disrupts normal neurological development and leads to abnormalities and later psychotic symptoms. Consequences of this early disruption appear in childhood and adolescence, prior to the actual onset of schizophrenic symptoms, as subtle differences in motor coordination, cognitive and social functioning, and temperament. There is evidence that supports this hypothesis, and risk factors operating in early life (e.g., obstetric complications) have been shown to be associated with the later development of schizophrenia. [originally proposed in 1987 by U.S. neuropsychiatrist Daniel Roy Weinberger]