X-Message-Number: 17863
From: 
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2001 13:36:13 EST
Subject: subject:heart disease/schizophrenia

Damien Broderick said:

>(I've also long been fond of the idea that schizophrenia might be due to a
>[perhaps prionic] `slow virus'; commonplace sardonic suspicions about
>psychiatrists do rise to mind...)

I read an interesting article years ago, where 17 pairs of identical twins 
were studied... the significant factor in these twins were that one twin was 
schizophrenic, the other was not.  Researchers discovered slight 
abnormalities in the  hands of the schizophrenic twin, and postulated that 
there were prenatal problems with the fetus development in the 2nd trimester, 
when the brain, and hands, are simultaneously developing.  There is a history 
of schizophrenia that runs in families, but it appears to be congenital, not 
directly genetic.  Ie, if a woman is sick during the 2nd trimester, or if the 
fetus has problems with blood flow, oxygen, or nutrients during that time, it 
can cause schizophrenia.  So, families that genetically are predisposed to 
difficult pregnancies are also unfortunately predisposed to schizophrenia- 
but not through direct genetic inheritance.

Does anyone have any more information regarding this?  The report I read was 
many years ago, more than ten, I believe.

best, Mike Donahue

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