The Hypothalamus in Schizophrenia Research: No Longer a Wallflower Existence

The hypothalamus is commonly believed to play only a subordinated role in schizophrenia. The present review attempts at condensing findings of the last two decades showing that hypothalamus is involved in many pathways found disturbed in schizophrenia (hypothalamus-pituitaryaxis, hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, hypothalamus-pituitarygonadal axis, metabolic syndrome, sleep-wakefulness cycle, and neuroimmune dysfunction). On the basis of this knowledge it is suggested to reconsider the place of the hypothalamus in the puzzle of schizophrenia.