Risk factors biological

Incarcerated individuals have a two to four fold greater prevalence of epilepsy, however, a relationship between criminal acts and seizure activity is seldom demonstrated (Marsh and Krauss, 2000). Aggression in seizure-disordered patients is often directed in nature, occurring during the interictal period, in response to a social context, likely related to general brain dysfunction rather than to seizure activity. Therefore, consideration of the social context in which the behavior occurs and of the sociological and biological risk factors is important. 

Lyon G, Gadisseux J-F. 1991. Structural abnormalities of the brain in developmental disorders. In Rutter M, Casaer P, eds. Biological Risk Factors for Psychosocial Disorders. New York Cambridge University Press. Pp. 1-19. 

Figure 13.5 Mid-infrared FTIR reflection spectra of individual biologic risk factors.

The etiology of breast cancer is unknown, but a number of factors that increase a woman s chances of developing the disease have been identified. These risk factors, as well as information regarding the biology of the disease, suggest that a complex interplay between hormones, genetic factors, and environmental and lifestyle influences all contribute to the etiology of this disease. 

Within the broad categories of biological, psychological, and environmental processes, researchers have identified certain factors that seem to increase the risk of experiencing drug-related problems. There are several different categories of risk factors that tend to cluster together. However, many of these risk factors... 

In addition to biological and environmental factors that influence the onset and course of drug-related problems, there also are many individual risk factors. These variables can include those related to a person s actions or behavior, those related to the way a person thinks, or those related to the experience of emotions. The next few sections will discuss in detail these personal variables that can be related to drug problems in some people. 

Research into the risk factors for Cluster A personality disorders has focused on genetic factors. In particular, many researchers have looked for a shared genetic linkage between these disorders and schizophrenia. Only schizotypal personality appears to be genetically linked to schizophrenia. It may be that STPD exists on a biological continuum with schizophrenia. In other words, STPD could theoretically be a far milder variant of Axis I schizophrenia. There is less evidence linking PPD or SPD to schizophrenia nevertheless, certain characteristic symptoms of these other disorders also overlap with schizophrenia. 

Endothelial progenitor cell numbers appear to decrease in the presence of risk factors for CAD and to correlate negatively with Framingham cardiovascular risk factors [31]. Therefore, stem cell therapy with EPCs may prove very useful in the clinical setting of cardiovascular disease. The kinetic and biological properties of EPCs may be especially appropriate for autologous transplantation. EPCs may also be safe to use in elderly and diabetic patients, populations in which they do not tend to migrate as much or induce neovascularization [68]. 

This chapter begins with a brief overview of the phenomenology of AN and BN and then summarizes current knowledge of genetic and neuro biological risk and vulnerability factors in the development of AN and BN. 

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