After critically reviewing the increasing use of the term ‘neuroinflammation’ in the field of schizophrenia, the article concludes that the classical markers of a neuroinflammatory process, such as a marked increase in certain cytokines, typical microglial reactivity, immune cell infiltration and neurodegeneration, are not consistently present in the disorder. According to the authors, collapsing the enormous complexity of neuroimmune changes in schizophrenia under an inflammatory label may lead to simplistic interpretations, shape biomarker research and misdirect the design of new therapies.
‘Talking about neuroinflammation in schizophrenia does not do justice to what we actually observe’, the authors explain. ‘Yes, there are neuroimmune alterations, but they are often subtle, heterogeneous and with possibly adaptive or compensatory roles. We need language that reflects this complexity and avoids assuming a classical inflammatory process from the outset’.
The team proposes replacing ‘neuroinflammation’ with more descriptive terms, such as ‘neuroimmune alterations’ or ‘altered neuroimmune activity’. Such language captures changes of both an inflammatory and a non-inflammatory nature, which may vary throughout the development and course of the illness. The aim is to facilitate a shared language across disciplines and improve alignment between basic research, clinical practice and treatment development, particularly in a field where the brain’s immune responses have physiological functions beyond inflammation in the strict sense of the word.
‘When terminology is imprecise, so is the way we design studies and interpret results’, the researchers add. ‘Being more careful with language will help us to identify patient subgroups, prioritise useful biomarkers and test interventions with a greater likelihood of success’.
By taking this position, IDIBAPS’ Schizophrenia research group is stimulating an international discussion to move towards a consensus-based nomenclature that better represents the underlying biology and more closely matches the terms used across other medical specialties.
Study of reference
Llorca-Bofí, V., Parellada, E., Morén, C. et al. Neuroinflammation: an unfortunate term to describe schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03450-5
