Finally, although further work is needed to determine the biological role of NRG3 at differing critical periods of development, the current study bridges a gap in understanding the pathophysiological role of NRG3 in neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism, and provides a valuable rodent model system for study of developmental neurotrophin overexposure without need for genetic manipulation. Here, BDNF is linked to schizophrenia.