ABSTRACT

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone which has a fundamental role in calcium metabolism. Apart from its close relationship with calcium, after functions of vitamin D about cell growth and differentiation were found, its role in neurologic and psychiatric pathologies has begun to be discussed. Studies suggest that vitamin D has an important role in neuronal growth and differentiation; secondary to this findings, vitamin D deficiency at early stages of life, is found to cause an increase in the incidence of several neuropsychiatric diseases (schizophrenia, autism, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.). Especially, the relationship between vitamin D and schizophrenia pathogenesis is found to be worth researching; many scientific studies are made by creating experimental animal models. This review is written with the aim of providing a collective view about schizophrenia and vitamin D relationships. (Turkish Journal of Osteoporosis 2013;19: 20-4)