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Text Box: What causes schizophrenia?
The exact cause is not known but schizophrenia is believed to result from a combination of life stress, genetic factors and some chemical imbalance in the brain.
Can schizophrenia be inherited?
It occurs in 1 percent of the general population but genetic factors play an important role in Schizophrenia. If someone in the family got schizophrenia, then it will increase his or her chance of getting schizophrenia. The chance could be as high as around 50 %. Look at the table.
Family Member (s) affected
Risk (approximate)
Identical twin
46%
One sibling/fraternal twin
12-15%
One parent
12-15%
Both paents
40%
One grandparent
6%
No relatives affected
0.5-1%

Although there is a genetic risk for schizophrenia, it is not likely that genes alone are sufficient to cause the disorder. Interactions between genes and the environment are thought to be necessary for schizophrenia to develop. Many environmental factors have been suggested as risk factors, such as exposure to viruses or malnutrition in the womb, problems during birth, and psychosocial factors, like stressful environmental conditions.

Do people with schizophrenia have faulty brain chemistry?
It is likely that an imbalance in the complex, interrelated chemical reactions of the brain involving the neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate (and possibly others) plays a role in schizophrenia. Neurotransmitters are substances that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. Basic knowledge about brain chemistry and its link to schizophrenia is expanding rapidly and is a promising area of research.
Do the brains of people with schizophrenia look different?
The brains of people with schizophrenia look a little different than the brains of healthy people, but the differences are small. Sometimes the fluid-filled cavities at the center of the brain, called ventricles, are larger in people with schizophrenia; overall gray matter volume is lower; and some areas of the brain have less or more metabolic activity.
What about suicide?
People with schizophrenia attempt suicide much more often than people in the general population. Suicide is the most common cause of premature death in schizophrenia. It accounts for 10-38% of all deaths in schizophrenia. Risk is probably highest in the year after first presentation.

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Text Box: Mind Encyclopedia

Schizophrenia