According to the neurodevelopmental hypothesis, schizophrenia may be caused by structural defects or abnormal neuronal circuits, resulting from disturbed early stages of embryonal development of the central nervous system. Disorders detected within white matter structures are considered one of possible causes of subsequent development of schizophrenia. Disorganization of white matter in patients with schizophrenia has been confirmed by neuropathological and neuroimaging studies. Novel neuroimaging techniques (diffusion tensor and magnetization transfer MRI) confirm the presence of white matter volume loss and regional misrouting and/or deficits within neuronal tracts. Schizophrenia is associated both with disorganization of oligodendrocytes participating in myelin synthesis and disturbed expression of proteins controlling this process. Results of post-mortem studies provide an indirect proof of disturbed neuronal migration taking place at early stages of neuroembryogenesis in patients with schizophrenia. It is suggested, that structural abnormalities observed may be caused by disturbed function of proteins which control this process, e.g. reelin, or substances acting as regulators of activity of these proteins and their receptors. Such a potential regulating factor is the product of the HAR1 gene, which may constitute the next step in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.