Medicine
Volume 36, Issue 8 , Pages 405-409, August 2008

Schizophrenia

Sophia Frangou MD MSc PhD FRCPsych is Reader in Psychiatry and Head of the Section of Neurobiology of Psychosis at the Institute of Psychiatry, and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK. Competing interests: none declared

Abstract 

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness with a prevalence of approximately 1%. It confers significant morbidity and disability and is characterized by the presence of psychotic symptoms. Schizophrenia is caused by the additive and interactive effects of genetic and non-genetic factors. Several genes have been identified that affect brain development, plasticity and function, which may increase vulnerability to environmental stressors such as social adversity and illicit drug abuse. Antipsychotic medication is the mainstay of pharmacological treatment. Currently available antipsychotic drugs modify neurotransmission primarily in dopaminergic pathways. The long-term effectiveness of antipsychotics is limited by a combination of inadequate efficacy and poor tolerability. Psychological treatments are also available and should be considered alongside pharmacological interventions.

Keywords: antipsychotics, delusions, drug use, genetic, hallucinations, immigration, schizophrenia

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1357-3039(08)00149-7

doi:10.1016/j.mpmed.2008.05.007

Medicine
Volume 36, Issue 8 , Pages 405-409, August 2008

Article Tools