SCHIZOPHRENIA EPIDEMIOLOGY & PATHOGENESIS
SCHIZOPHRENIA EPIDEMIOLOGY & PATHOGENESIS
EPIDEMIOLOGY:
- Prevalence – 1 %
- Equal in men & women.
- High heritability (Increased familial prevalence).
- More prevalent in lower socioeconomic status.
- Incidence rate – 0.15-0.25 per thousand.
- Onset age –
- Adolescence and young adulthood.
- Earlier onset in men
- Late onset schizophrenia (After 45 yrs).
- Adolescence and young adulthood.
- Predisposing factors:
- Body types: Asthenic (thin & weak).
ETIOLOGY:
Genetic factors:
- Higher monozygotic concordance rate.
- Important nine linkage sites: 1q, 5q, 6p, 6g, 8P, 10p, 13q, 15q & 22q.
Genes involved:
- Alpha-7 nicotinic receptor
- DISC I (Disrupted in schizophrenia)
- COMT (catechol-o-methyl transferase)
- NRG 1 (Neuregulin 1)
- GRM-3 (Glutamate receptor metabotropic)
- RGS-4 (Regulator of G protein signalling)
- DAOA (or G-72) (D-Amino acid oxidase activator)
Biochemical factors:
- Dopamine: Excess of dopaminergic activity.
- Serotonin – Increased responsible for symptoms.
Neuropathological factors:
- Abnormalities in structures including,
- Cerebral ventricles, limbic system, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia & cerebellum.
Exam Important
- Schizophrenia has high heritability.
- The usual age of onset of schizophrenia is adolescence and young adulthood.
- After age of 45 years, the disorder is called late-onset schizophrenia.
- Asthenic (thin and weak) individuals are believed to be predisposed for development of schizophrenia.
- According to “Dopamine hypothesis”, excess dopaminergic activity is responsible for schizophrenia.
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