Environmental And Genetic Affects And Schizophrenia

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theories about the aetiology of schizophrenia, but research has failed to pinpoint the origins. There is evidence that environmental pathogens (for example, viruses) are involved in the causation of schizophrenia. There is also evidence for a role of hereditary influences and obstetric complications on the incidence of schizophrenia. Furthermore, psychological influences have also been suggested as important in precipitating episodes of schizophrenia (for example, significant life events and interactions within the family). The symptoms and syndromes of schizophrenia are complex and very heterogeneous. Thus, the resulting theories reflect this complexity. This heterogeneity causes disagreement about diagnosis, illustrating the huge importance to explain the basis of schizophrenia and to establish the root causes - if they due indeed exist. The term schizophrenia may infact be an umbrella term covering a number of different diseases. Even if this was to be the case, the ...

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that have led to the development of theories of the aetiology of schizophrenia include the observations that schizophrenics "have a lower head circumference at birth, show behavioural peculiarities as children, have an increased rate of minor physical abnormalities, delayedrodevelopmental milestones, low IQ and behavioural abnormalities in
childhood, and have an increased size of cerebral ventricles" (Weinberger, 1995). These observations have become warning signals that a child has a predisposition to schizophrenia, as well as leading to the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia. The point that a child may have a predisposition, suggesting a hereditary factor, will be ...

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