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Neurodevelopment and the Chronological Curiosities of Schizophrenia

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Developmental Neuropathology of Schizophrenia

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 217))

Abstract

Several lines of evidence suggest that at least some cases of schizophrenia are a consequence of a structurally abnormal brain (Stevens, 1982). Although it is only now possible to study the cells of the brain and the genes controlling them, many of the most enduring findings in the field of schizophrenia research were established more than half a century ago and concern the timing of events. These findings include the excess of schizophrenics born in the late winter and spring (Tramer, 1929), the importance of the perinatal period in the development of psychopathology (Critchton-Browne, 1862), the association of early head trauma and psychosis (Tennent, 1937), and the earlier age of onset of schizophrenia in males (Bleuler, 1911 trans. 1950). Such findings have been widely replicated but for many years were not considered to be of fundamental importance to the understanding of schizophrenia. Instead, they were disregarded as mere chronological curiosities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, Great Britain

    P. B. Jones & R. Goodman

  2. Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales

    M. J. Owen

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical, London, Great Britain

    S. W. Lewis

  4. Kings College Hospital and Institute, De Crespigny Park, London, Great Britain

    R. M. Murray

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  2. R. Goodman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Sarnoff A. Mednick , Tyrone D. Cannon , Christopher E. Barr  & José M. LaFosse , ,  & 

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Jones, P.B., Goodman, R., Owen, M.J., Lewis, S.W., Murray, R.M. (1991). Neurodevelopment and the Chronological Curiosities of Schizophrenia. In: Mednick, S.A., Cannon, T.D., Barr, C.E., LaFosse, J.M. (eds) Developmental Neuropathology of Schizophrenia. NATO ASI Series, vol 217. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3378-8_10

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