PSYCH 212 Lecture Notes - Lecture 68: Catechol, Psychosis, Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase
Document Summary
Genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia may not be expressed as the full disorder, but rather as other types of psychoses or personality traits. Risk genes lead to issues along the schizophrenia spectrum. Recently, researchers has been attempting to determine which specific genes are responsible for schizophrenia. Thus far, they have only found a few genes that make a small but significant impact. Gene responsible for an enzyme involved in breaking down dopamine, catechol o- methyltransferase (comt) One form of this gene puts a person at a small increased risk for schizophrenia. Problems with pregnancy and birth are associated with later development of schizophrenia. 1) severe maternal malnutrition early in pregnancy; 2) disease/infections in the mother prior to birth. Birth records show mothers of later schizophrenia patients experienced more complications in labor and delivery such as: May reduce availability of oxygen to newborn"s brain. Schizophrenia affects many different regions of the brain, but generally with the disorder:
