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Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by significant alterations in perception, thoughts, mood, and behavior. [34] Symptoms are described in terms of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. [3] [35] The positive symptoms of schizophrenia are the same for any psychosis and are sometimes referred to as psychotic symptoms. These may ...
The same association occurs in childhood onset schizophrenia, which is considered a more homogenous form of the disorder that hews closest to the hypothetical neurodevelopmental disorder underlying schizophrenia-spectrum conditions; approximately one-quarter of children with schizophrenia fit the criteria for an autism spectrum disorder prior ...
Autism has a strong genetic basis. Although the genetics of autism are complex, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is explained more by multigene effects than by rare mutations with large effects. [1] [2] Autism may be influenced by genetics, with studies consistently demonstrating a higher prevalence among siblings and in families with a history ...
A common presentation of sleep apnea in children with autism is insomnia. [67] All known genetic syndromes which are linked to autism have a high prevalence of sleep apnea. The prevalence of sleep apnea in Down's Syndrome is 50% - 100%. [68] Sleep problems and OSA in this population have been linked to language development. [69]
Most psychiatric disorders are highly heritable; the estimated heritability for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism (80% or higher) is much higher than that of diseases like breast cancer and Parkinson disease. [1] Having a close family member affected by a mental illness is the largest known risk factor, to date. [6]
Autism spectrum disorder [a] (ASD), or simply autism, is a neurodevelopmental disorder "characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts" and "restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities". [11]
Symptoms of schizophrenia often appear soon after puberty, when the brain is undergoing significant maturational changes. Some investigators believe that the disease process of schizophrenia begins prenatally, remains dormant until puberty, then follows a period of neural degeneration that causes the symptoms to subsequently emerge. [13]
However, because of the multigene involvement in autism, the MECP2 gene has only been identified as a vulnerability factor in autism. [63] The most current model illustrating MECP2 is known as the transcriptional activator model. Another potential molecular convergence involves the early growth response gene-2 (EGR2). [60]