Schizophrenia very early-onset

Epidemiologic data show that 10% to 30% of patients with schizophrenia develop their first psychotic symptoms prior to their eighteenth birthday. Onset between puberty and age of 18 is sometimes classified as early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) or intermediate onset schizophrenia, and those presenting with symptoms before puberty are classified as very early-onset... 

Genetic factors are important in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (Karayiorgou and Gogos, 1997), and the notion that such factors may be more salient in very early onset-cases fueled two classic family studies of childhood-onset cases (Kallmann and Roth, 1956 Kelvin et al., 1971). 

Patients with adult-onset schizophrenia have been shown to have subtle but demonstrable impairments in premorbid language as well as in motor and social development (Davies et ah, 1998), and a poor outcome in schizophrenia is correlated with more pronounced early developmental abnormalities. Several independent studies have found that very early-onset schizophrenia is associated with similar but more pronounced abnormalities (Watkins et ah, 1988 Alaghband-Rad et ah, 1995 Holhs, 1995). 

Emerging evidence suggests that patients with a very early onset of schizophrenia have greater levels of both early and later neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Environmental factors are not increased, while genetic... 

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