Pathogenic theory of schizophrenia

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The pathogenic theory of schizophrenia, also called the germ theory of schizophrenia, is a pathogenic theory of disease in which it is thought that a proximal cause of certain cases of schizophrenia is the interaction of the developing fetus with pathogens such as viruses, or with antibodies from the mother created in response to these pathogens (in particular, Interleukin 8).

Substantial research suggests that exposure to certain illnesses (e.g., influenza) in the mother of the neonate (especially at the end of the second trimester) causes defects in neural development which may emerge as a predisposition to schizophrenia around the time of puberty, as the brain grows and develops.

Notes

Further reading

• Munk-Jorgensen, Povl, Ewald, Henrik Epidemiology in neurobiological research: exemplified by the influenza—schizophrenia theory The [[British Journal of Psychiatry] (2001) 178: s30-s32] ("In summary, the 10-year period of influenza—schizophrenia research in the 1980s and 1990s has provided strong inferential evidence that influenza infection in pregnancy, especially in the second trimester, can cause damage to the immature brain which increases the risk for schizophrenia later in life.")
• McGrath J, Castle D. Does influenza cause schizophrenia? A five year review. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 1995 Mar;29(1):23-31 ("There is a modest degree of consistency in support of an association between the 1957 influenza epidemic--and less so, for influenza epidemics in general--and later schizophrenia")
• S. A. Mednick, R. A. Machon, M. O. Huttunen and D. Bonett (Univ. of So. Calif.) Adult schizophrenia following prenatal exposure to an influenza epidemic Arch. Gen. Psych Vol. 45 No. 2, February 1988 ("Those exposed to the viral epidemic during their second trimester of fetal development were at elevated risk of being admitted to a psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.")

External links

• Psychiatric News May 21, 2004 volume 39 number 10 Amer. Psych. Assn. Accessed 2007-01-15. ("Flu infection during early or middle pregnancy can sometimes lead to schizophrenia, blood taken from pregnant women and analyzed years later suggests.")
• Reuters Health accessed 2007-01-15. ("Children born to women who contract the flu during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk for schizophrenia later in life, new research suggests. Prenatal influenza exposure may account for about 14 percent of schizophrenia cases, according to the findings presented here this week at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.")

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