Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research article

Familial liability, obstetric complications and childhood development abnormalities in early onset schizophrenia: a case control study

Authors: Francesco Margari, Maria G Petruzzelli, Paola A Lecce, Orlando Todarello, Andrea De Giacomo, Elisabetta Lucarelli, Domenico Martinelli, Lucia Margari

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2011

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Genetic and environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions are linked to higher likelihood of developing schizophrenia in accordance with the neurodevelopmental model of disease; little is known about risk factors and early development in early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and very early-onset schizophrenia (VEOS).

Methods

We present a case-control study of a sample of 21 patients with EOS/VEOS and a control group of 21 patients with migraine, recruited from the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurologic and Psychiatric Science, University of Bari, Italy. The aim was to assess the statistical association between VEOS/EOS and family history for psychiatric disorders, obstetric complications and childhood developmental abnormalities using 2 × 2 tables and a Chi Squared or Fisher test.

Results

The results show a statistical association between EOS/VEOS and schizophrenia and related disorders (P = 0.02) and personality disorders (P = 0.003) in relatives, and between EOS/VEOS and developmental abnormalities of early relational skills (P = 0.008) and learning (P = 0.04); there is not a statistically relevant difference between cases and controls (P > 0.05) for any obstetric complications (pre, peri and postpartum).

Conclusions

This study confirms the significant role of familial liability but not of obstetric complications in the pathogenesis of VEOS/EOS; the association between childhood developmental abnormalities and EOS/VEOS supports the neurodevelopmental model of disease.
Literature
1.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Official Action: Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children with schizophrenia. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001, 40 (suppl): 4-23.
2.
Margari F, Presicci A, Petruzzelli MG, Ventura P, Di Cuonzo F, Palma M, Margari L: Very early onset and greater vulnerability in schizophrenia: a clinical and neuroimaging study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2008, 4: 825-30.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
3.
Masi G, Mucci M, Pari C: Children with schizophrenia: clinical picture and pharmacological treatment. CNS Drugs. 2006, 20: 841-66. 10.2165/00023210-200620100-00005.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Speranza M: A developmental and psychopathological approach to childhood onset schizophrenia. Neuropsichiatrie de l'enfance et de l'adolescence. 2006, 54: 45-3.CrossRef
5.
Nicolson R, Rapaport JL: Childhood onset schizophrenia: rare but worth studying. Biol Psychiatry. 1999, 46: 1418-28. 10.1016/S0006-3223(99)00231-0.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Nicolson R, Lenane M, Hamburger SD, Fernandez T, Bedwell J, Rapaport JL: Lessons from childhood-onset schizophrenia. Brain Res Rev. 2000, 31: 147-56. 10.1016/S0165-0173(99)00032-6.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Vourdas A, Pipe R, Corrigall R, Frangou S: Increased developmental deviance and premorbid dysfunction in early onset schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2003, 62: 13-22. 10.1016/S0920-9964(02)00429-2.CrossRefPubMed
8.
American Psychiatric Association: DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision. 2000, Fourth
9.
International Classification of Hedache disorders. ICHD-II. 2004, II
10.
Kaufman J, Brimaher B, Brent D, Rao U, Ryan N: Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version. 2004, Erikson
11.
Achenbach TM: Child Behavior Checklist. 2001, ASEBA, University of Vermount
12.
Wechsler D: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Childre-Revised. Manual. 1981, Psychological Corporation, Cleveland, OH
13.
Hardt J, Franke P: Validity, reliability and objectivity of the family history method in psychiatry: a meta analysis. Eur Psychiatry. 2007, 22: 49-58. 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2006.10.003.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Boog G: Obstetrical complications and subsequent schizophrenia in adolescent and young adult offsprings: is there a relationship?. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2004, 114: 130-6. 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2003.09.041.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Cannon M, Jones PB, Murray RM: Obstetric complications and schizophrenia: historical and meta-analytic review. Am J Psychiatry. 2002, 159: 1080-92. 10.1176/appi.ajp.159.7.1080.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Clarke MC, Harley M, Cannon M: The Role of Obstetric Events in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 2006, 32 (1): 3-8. 10.1093/schbul/sbj028.CrossRefPubMed
17.
18.
Meyer U, Feldon J: Prenatal exposure to infection: a primary mechanism for abnormal dopaminergic development in schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009, 206 (4): 587-602. 10.1007/s00213-009-1504-9.CrossRef
19.
Mittal VA, Ellman LM, Cannon TD: Gene-environment interaction and covariation in schizophrenia: the role of obstetric complications. Schizophr Bull. 2008, 34 (6): 1083-94. 10.1093/schbul/sbn080.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
20.
Moreno D, Moreno-Iniguez M, Vigil D, Castro-Fornieles J, Ortuno F, Gonzalez-Pinto A, Parellada M, Baeza I, Otero S, Graell M, Aldama A, Arango C: Obstetric complications as a risk factor for first psychotic episodes in childhood and adolescence. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009, 18: 180-4. 10.1007/s00787-008-0692-x.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Rosso IM, Cannon TD, Huttunen T, Huttunen MO, Lonnqvist J, Gasperoni TL: Obstetric risk factors for early-onset schizophrenia in a Finnish birth cohort. Am J Psychiatry. 2000, 157: 801-7. 10.1176/appi.ajp.157.5.801.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Verdoux H, Sutter AL: Perinatal risk factors for schizophrenia: diagnostic specificity and relationships with maternal psychopathlogy. Am J Med Genet. 2002, 114: 898-905. 10.1002/ajmg.10906.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Guerra A, Fearon P, Sham P, Jones P, Lewis S, Mata I, Murray R: The relationship between predisposing factors, premorbid function and symptom dimensions in psychosis: an integrated approach. Eur Psychiatry. 2002, 17: 311-20. 10.1016/S0924-9338(02)00685-5.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Isohanni M, Jones PB, Moilanen K, Rantakallio P, Veijola J, Oja H, Koiranen M, Jokelainen J, Croudace T: Early developmental milestones in adult schizophrenia and other psychoses. A 31-year follow-up of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort. Schizophr Res. 2001, 52: 1-19.PubMed
25.
Isohanni M, Lauronen E, Moilanen K, Isohanni I, Kempnnainen L, Koponen H, Miettunen J, Mäki P, Räsänen S, Veijola J, Tienari P, Wahlberg KE, Murray GK: Predictors of schizophrenia: evidence from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort and other sources. Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 2005, 48 (suppl): 4-7. 10.1192/bjp.187.48.s4.CrossRef
26.
Niemi LT, Suvisaari JM, Tuulio-Henriksson A, Lonnqvist JK: Childhood developmental abnormalities in schizophrenia: evidence from high-risk studies. Schizophr Res. 2003, 60: 239-58. 10.1016/S0920-9964(02)00234-7.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Phillips LJ, McGorry PD, Yung AR, McGlashan TH, Cornblatt B, Klosterkotter J: Prepsychotic phase of schizophrenia and related disorders: recent progress and future opportunities. Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 2005, 48 (suppl): -44-
28.
Thompson JL, Pogue-Geile MF, Grace AA: Developmental pathology, dopamine and stress: a model for the age of onset of schizophrenia symptoms. Schizophr Bull. 2004, 30: 875-900.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Konnecke R, Hafner H, Maurer K, Loffler W, an der Haiden W: Main risk factors for schizophrenia: increased familial loading and pre- and peri-natal complications antagonize the protective effect of oestrogen in women. Schizophr Res. 2000, 44: 81-93. 10.1016/S0920-9964(99)00139-5.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Harrison PJ, Owen MJ: Genes for schizophrenia? Recent findings and their pathophysiological implications. Lancet. 2003, 361: 417-9. 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12379-3.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Rapoport JL, Addington AM, Frangou S, Psych MR: The neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia: update. Mol Psychiatry. 2005, 434-49. 10.1038/sj.mp.4001642.
32.
Tandon R, Keshavan MS, Nasrallah HA: Schizophrenia, "Just the facts" What we know in 2008.2. Epidemiology and etiology. Schizophr Res. 2008, 102: 1-18. 10.1016/j.schres.2008.04.011.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Asarnow RF, Nuechterlein KH, Fogelson D, Subotnik KL, Payne DA, Russel AT, Asamen J, Kuppinger H, Kendler KS: Schizophrenia and schizophrenia-spectrum personality disorders in the first-degree relatives of children with schizophrenia: the UCLA family study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001, 58: 581-8. 10.1001/archpsyc.58.6.581.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Nicolson R, Brookner FB, Lenane M, Gochman P, Ingraham LJ, Egan MF, Kendler KS, Pickar D, Weinberger DR, Rapoport JL: Parental schizophrenia spectrum disorders in childhood-onset and adult onset schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2003, 160: 490-5. 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.3.490.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Fogelson DL, Nuechterlein KH, Asarnow RA, Payne DL, Subotnik KL, Jacobson KC, Neale MC, Kendler KS: Avoidant personality disorder is a separable schizophrenia-spectrum personality disorder even when controlling for the presence of paranoid and schizotypal personality disorders. The UCLA family study. Schizophr Research. 2007, 91: 192-9. 10.1016/j.schres.2006.12.023.CrossRef
36.
Subotnik KL, Asarnow RF, Nuechterlein KH, Fogelson DL, Thorpe TI, Payne DL, Giannini CA, Kuppinger HE, Torquato RD, Mintz J, Hwang SS, Gottesman II: MMPI vulnerability indicators for schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder: UCLA family study of biological parents of offspring with childhood onset schizophrenia or ADHD. Behav Gen. 2005, 35: 159-75. 10.1007/s10519-004-1016-7.CrossRef
37.
Hickie IB, Banati R, Stewart CH, Lloyd AR: Are common childhood or adolescent infections risk factors for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders?. Med J Aust. 2009, 190 (suppl): 17-21.
38.
Nicolson R, Malaspina D, Giedd JN, Hamburger S, Lenane M, Bedwell J, Fernandez T, Berman A, Susser E, Rapoport JL: Obstetrical complications and childhood-onset schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 1999, 156: 1650-2.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Verdoux H: Perinatal risk factors for schizophrenia: how specific are they?. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2004, 6 (3): 162-7. 10.1007/s11920-004-0060-6.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Ordonez AE, Bobb A, Greenstein D, Baker N, Sporn A, Lenane M, Malaspina D, Rapaport J, Gogtay N: Lack of evidence for elevated obstetric complications in childhood onset schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 2005, 58 (1): 10-5. 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.02.009.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Lencz T, Smith CW, Auther A, Correll CU, Cornblatt B: Nonspecific and attenuated negative symptoms in patients at clinical high-risk for schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2004, 68: 37-48. 10.1016/S0920-9964(03)00214-7.CrossRefPubMed
42.
Silverstein ML, Mavrolefteros G, Turnbull A: Premorbid factors in relation to motor, memory and executive functions deficits in adult schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2003, 61: 271-80. 10.1016/S0920-9964(02)00312-2.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Van Mastrigt S, Addington J: Assessment of premorbid function in first-episode schizophrenia: modifications to the Premorbid Adjustment Scale. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2002, 27: 92-01.PubMedPubMedCentral
44.
Di Nuovo SF, Buono S: Psychiatric syndromes comorbid with mental retardation: differences in cognitive and adaptive skills. J Psychiatr Res. 2007, 41: 795-800. 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2006.02.011.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Negueruela M, Ceverino A, Quintero J, Perez M, Fernandez Del Moral A, Jimenez M: Mental retardation as a risk factor to develop a psychotic disease. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2009, 37: 21-6.
46.
Kremen WS, Seidman LJ, Faraone SV, Tsuang MT: Intelligence quotient and neuropsychological profiles in patients with schizophrenia and in normal volunteers. Biol Psychiatry. 2001, 50: 453-62. 10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01099-X.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Ueland T, Oie M, Inge Landro N, Rund BR: Cognitive functioning in adolescents with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res. 2004, 126: 229-39. 10.1016/j.psychres.2004.02.014.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Familial liability, obstetric complications and childhood development abnormalities in early onset schizophrenia: a case control study
Authors
Francesco Margari
Maria G Petruzzelli
Paola A Lecce
Orlando Todarello
Andrea De Giacomo
Elisabetta Lucarelli
Domenico Martinelli
Lucia Margari
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-11-60

Other articles of this Issue 1/2011

BMC Psychiatry 1/2011 Go to the issue

Research article

Treatment and outcomes of crisis resolution teams: a prospective multicentre study

Research article

Profile of subjective quality of life and its correlates in a nation-wide sample of high school students in an Arab setting using the WHOQOL-Bref

Study protocol

Effectiveness of an intercultural module added to the treatment guidelines for Moroccan and Turkish patients with depressive and anxiety disorders

Research article

Personality disorders and psychosocial problems in a group of participants to therapeutic processes for people with severe social disabilities

Research article

The effectiveness of problem solving therapy in deprived South African communities: results from a pilot study

Research article

Social support and antenatal depression in extended and nuclear family environments in Turkey: a cross-sectional survey