Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Schizophrenia) that could possibly cause Schizophrenia includes:
The following conditions have been cited in various sources as potentially causal risk factors related to Schizophrenia:
Gender Profile of Schizophrenia: Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears... (Source: excerpt from Schizophrenia: NIMH) ...more »
Gender Profile of Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia often first appears earlier in men, usually in their late teens or early 20s, than in women, who are generally... (Source: excerpt from The Numbers Count: NIMH) ...more »
To research the causes of Schizophrenia, consider researching the causes of these these diseases that may be similar, or associated with Schizophrenia:
Causes of Broader Categories of Schizophrenia: Review the causal information about the various more general categories of medical conditions:
Other conditions that might have Schizophrenia as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Schizophrenia. Our database lists the following as having Schizophrenia as a complication of that condition:
Conditions listing Schizophrenia as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Schizophrenia. Our database lists the following as having Schizophrenia as a symptom of that condition:
The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible
causes of Schizophrenia as a symptom.
This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances
may cause your symptoms.
Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using,
including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
Read more about medication causes of Schizophrenia
Article excerpts about the
causes of Schizophrenia:
Scientists are studying genetic factors in schizophrenia. It appears likely that multiple genes are involved in creating a predisposition to develop the disorder. In addition, factors such as prenatal difficulties like intrauterine starvation or viral infections, perinatal complications, and various nonspecific stressors, seem to influence the development of schizophrenia. However, it is not yet understood how the genetic predisposition is transmitted, and it cannot yet be accurately predicted whether a given person will or will not develop the disorder. (Source: excerpt from Schizophrenia: NIMH)
There have been dramatic advances in neuroimaging technology that permit scientists to study brain structure and function in living individuals. Many studies of people with schizophrenia have found abnormalities in brain structure (for example, enlargement of the fluid-filled cavities, called the ventricles, in the interior of the brain, and decreased size of certain brain regions) or function (for example, decreased metabolic activity in certain brain regions). It should be emphasized that these abnormalities are quite subtle and are not characteristic of all people with schizophrenia, nor do they occur only in individuals with this illness. Microscopic studies of brain tissue after death have also shown small changes in distribution or number of brain cells in people with schizophrenia. It appears that many (but probably not all) of these changes are present before an individual becomes ill, and schizophrenia may be, in part, a disorder in development of the brain.
Developmental neurobiologists funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have found that schizophrenia may be a developmental disorder resulting when neurons form inappropriate connections during fetal development. These errors may lie dormant until puberty, when changes in the brain that occur normally during this critical stage of maturation interact adversely with the faulty connections. This research has spurred efforts to identify prenatal factors that may have some bearing on the apparent developmental abnormality.
In other studies, investigators using brain-imaging techniques have found evidence of early biochemical changes that may precede the onset of disease symptoms, prompting examination of the neural circuits that are most likely to be involved in producing those symptoms. Meanwhile, scientists working at the molecular level are exploring the genetic basis for abnormalities in brain development and in the neurotransmitter systems regulating brain function. (Source: excerpt from Schizophrenia: NIMH)
Research suggests that schizophrenia may be a developmental disorder resulting from impaired migration of neurons in the brain during fetal development.13 (Source: excerpt from When Someone Has Schizophrenia: NIMH)
The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Schizophrenia:
As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Schizophrenia may be found in:
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