Schizophrenia genetic influence

Schizophrenia is not a neurodegenerative disease but there is some general neuropathology. There is also evidence for a genetic influence. In monozygotic twins with... 

Although genetic influences on the dynamics of drug response have been studied in a wide range of disorders, most of the studies have been carried out in only the past few years. Disorders and behaviors studied include Alzheimer s disease, schizophrenia, depression, suicide, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), substance abuse, smoking, and alcoholism. Across these disorders, however, there has been a focus on only a handful of neuroeffector systems. These include apolipoprotein and the cholinergic system (in Alzhei-... 

McGuffin P, Asherson P, Owen M, Farmer A (1994) The strength of the genetic effect. Is there room for an environmental influence in the aetiology of schizophrenia Br J Psychiatry 164 593-599... 

Bray NJ, Holmans PA, van den Bree MB, Jones L, Elliston LA, et al. 2008. Cis- and trans- loci influence expression of the schizophrenia susceptibility gene DTNBPL Hum Mol Genet 17 1169-1174. 

Cannon TD, Rosso IM, Hollister JM, Bearden CE, Sanchez LE, et al. 2000. A prospective cohort study of genetic and perinatal influences in the etiology of schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 26 351-366. 

Abstract The family as a unit for support and care of chronically ill individuals with schizophrenia, as well as a source for valuable research information, needs emphasis. However, over the years, studies of families have been misinterpreted in a variety of political, social, and psychodynamic ways that have only hindered research progress. Currently, families are important resources for genetic research. Nevertheless, the new accumulated data on gene variation and expression in schizophrenia and families based on this research need to be better understood. The following is a review of the influence of the family on schizophrenia over the past century since Dementia Praecox was first defined as a separate entity by Kraepelin. 

DNA obtained from each individual is analyzed for hybridization with several probes distributed over the whole genome. Clearly, genetic analysis of this nature, while fruitful with single-gene diseases, can be very complicated when applied to diseases such as schizophrenia, which appear to be influenced by multiple... 

As mentioned above (Section 34.3.4.2) there is growing evidence supporting the hypothesis that schizophrenia is caused by a combination of genetic or epigenetic factors that affect limbic brain structures in the last trimester of development and stress-induced envkonmental influences during the final maturation of these structures late in human adolescence. This two hit idea has led to research directed at two potential targets for cytokine action the effects of cytokines on the... 

Studies of twins demonstrate that schizophrenia is a complex syndrome involving both genetic and environmental influences. Some researchers like to use the term trait rather than... 

The best view we have from twin studies is that schizophrenia results from both genetic and shared-environment etiological influences, with shared environment meaning classical postnatal environmental factors plus prenatal environmental factors, such as exposure to infectious agents, macro- or micronutrient dietary characteristics, and exposure to environmental toxins, teratogens, and other assaults to the prenatal environment.22 Which factors and assaults are important can differ from one individual to another for reasons still unknown. Schizophrenia is not a simple puzzle. 

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