Background The pathophysiological characteristics of schizophrenia appear to involve
altered synaptic connectivity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Given the central role that
layer 3 pyramidal neurons play in corticocortical and thalamocortical connectivity, we
hypothesized that the excitatory inputs to these neurons are altered in subjects with
schizophrenia. Methods To test this hypothesis, we determined the density of dendritic
spines, markers of excitatory inputs, on the basilar dendrites of Golgi-impregnated pyramidal …