Does schizophrenia start in adolescence?
Abstract
Schizophrenia is considered a severe mental disorder that is associated with significant morbidity, unlike other mental disorders, the symptoms of schizophrenia often do not manifest for decades. In most patients, the formal onset of schizophrenia is preceded by prodromal symptoms, including positive symptoms, negative symptoms, mood symptoms and social withdrawal. There are several theories about the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. Some focused on different factors such as genetic, environmental (e.g. stress), molecular, maldevelopment and alterations in the normal pathways of neuronal migration. Supported by several international studies, there is an interesting hypothesis that suggests the influence of a neurophatogen virosic agent acting on the fetus. This enviromental noxa would damaged the programed neuronal migration. The exposure to influenza virus by the fifth month of gestation is supposed to be associated with schizophrenia in adult life. We have first done an update and revision of previous papers in the matter, then followed by the analyses of more than 500 patients with schizophrenia (according with to DSM-IV criteria). The results supported the hypothesis that season of birth is associated with increased risk for schizophrenia.
Downloads
References
Barr, C.E., Mednick S.A. y Munk-Jorgensen, P. (1990). Exposure to influenza epidemics during gestation and adult schizophrenia. A 40 year study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 47 (9), 869–874.
Beckmann H. y Franzak E. (1992). Season of birth effect reveals the existence of etiologically different groups of schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry, 32, 375–378.
Degreef G. y Sukdeb M. (1987). Season of birth and CT Scan findings in schizophrenic patients. Biological Psichiatry, 24, 461–464.
Farreras P. y Rozman C. (1982) Enfermedades infecciosas del árbol respiratorio. Medicina Interna, 2269–2274.
Fuller Torrey E. y Yolken R. (1994). Viral studies of schizophrenia and developmental etiology. XIX CINP Abstracts.
Hirakawa Y. y Anai K. (1994). Schizophrenia and prenatal exposure to influenza epidemic. Epidemiological survey for 1962 A2 influenzapandemic in Japan. XIX CINP Abstracts.
Lim K.O., Beal D.M. y Harvey R.L. (1995). Brain Dysmorphology in adults with congenital rubella plus schizophrenialike symptoms. Biological Psychiatry, 37, 764–776.
Machon R.A., Mednick S.A. y Schulsinger F. (1983). The interaction of seasonality, place of birth, genetic risk and subsequent schizophrenia in a high risk sample. British Journal of Psychiatry, 143 (4), 383–388.
Maurizi C.P. (1984). Influenza and schizophrenia: a possible connection with the substanti nigra”. Medical Hypotheses. 15 (2), 163–167.
Mednick S.A. y Huttunen M.O. (1988). Adult schizophrenia following prenatal exposure to an influenza epidemic. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45 (2), 189–192.
Murray, R.M. y O’Callaghan E. (1992). A neurodevelopmental approach to the classification of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 18 (2), 319–332.
Pulver, A.E. y Liang K.Y. (1992). Risk factors in schizophrenia: season of birth, gender and familial risk. British Journal of Psychiatry. 160, (65–71).
Pulver, A.E., Stewart W. y Carpenter, W.T. (1983). Risk factors in schizophrenia: season of birth in Maryland, USA. British Journal of Psychiatry, 143 (4), 389–396.
Rakic P. (1988). Specification of cerebral areas. Science, 421, 170–176. Sanguinetti L. (1987). Virosis respiratorias. Medicina Interna, 205–207.
Sawyer, J.W. y Childs, B. (1981). The association between season of birth and the risk for schizophrenia. American Journal of Epidemiology. 114 (5).(735–749).
Sham, P.C., O’ Callaghan, E. y Takei, N. (1992). Schizophrenia following pre-natal exposure to influenza epidemics between 1939 and 1960. British Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 461– 466. 1992.
Zipursky R.B. y Schulz, S.C. (1992). Seasonality of birth and CT findings in schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry, 22, 1288–1292.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to grant Psicodebate copyright and right of publication and accept the work being licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the authors and Psicodebate.
