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Fever In, Schizophrenia Out
Fever In, Schizophrenia Out
Fever In, Schizophrenia Out
Má rcio Padilha
Fall/2010
Fever In 2
with reality and by disturbances in perception, emotion, cognition, and motor behavior”
[ CITATION Kle07 \l 1033 ]. In light of its commonality and debilitating effects to sufferers and
their families, scientists have researched it extensively trying to understand how genetics
factors affect the sufferer’s predisposition to develop the condition in adulthood [ CITATION
Kle07 \l 1033 ].
Amongst the different studies conducted, J. R. Minkel reports that scientists had
suspected that exposure to influenza during pregnancy raises risk of offspring developing
schizophrenia later in life” [ CITATION JRM04 \l 1033 ]. In order to further explore this venue,
the first study comprehended a maternal serologic analysis where the primary exposure
measure was influenza infection, which, in accordance with the results of the validity study,
was defined as the first occurrence during pregnancy of an influenza antibody titer of 1:20
or greater. This was a “nested case-control study of a large birth cohort, born from 1959
through 1966, and followed up for psychiatric disorders 30 to 38 years later.” Cases were
schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder). Controls were 125 members of the birth
cohort, had not been diagnosed as having a schizophrenia spectrum or major affective
disorder, and were matched to cases on date of birth, sex, length of time in the cohort, and
availability of maternal serum. The findings of this study represent the first serologic
evidence that prenatal influenza plays a role in schizophrenia which, if confirmed, may
have implications for the prevention of schizophrenia and for unraveling pathogenic
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mechanisms of the disorder. Although the study analogically addressed brain structure and
function in mice, it does not per se specifically address human brain structure and function
differences in specific neural structures when compared with normal individuals without
schizophrenia and those with other mental disorders” and that such differences comprise
larger spaces which suggest “less brain matter” as “enlarged ventricles have been
attributed to smaller-than-normal neurons and increased neuronal density and the loss of
neurons in structures near the ventricles such as the amygdala and hippocampus”
point out that the serologic material analyzed possessed great integrity. Nevertheless, it
schizophrenia and prenatal exposure to polio, varicella-zoster, and measles” and that
“study also did not include data on family history of schizophrenia, which would have
permitted the adjustment for possible confounding by this factor, and the examination of
schizophrenia”, which has great potential for tainting of actual results. Furthermore, as per
Minkel, the number of subjects studied does not have statistical expression and further
The risk of schizophrenia was increased 7-fold for influenza exposure during the
first trimester. There was no increased risk of schizophrenia with influenza during the
second or third trimester. With the use of a broader gestational period of influenza
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exposure — early to mid-pregnancy — the risk of schizophrenia was increased 3-fold. The
findings persisted after adjustment for potential confounders. These findings represent the
first serologic evidence that prenatal influenza plays a role in schizophrenia. If confirmed,
the results may have implications for the prevention of schizophrenia and for unraveling
Therefore, in light of all presented evidence in the literature at hand, I would infer
that the presence of prenatal influenza infection is not necessarily a unique predisposing
element for the onset of schizophrenia in the adulthood as it has been further evidenced
that other prenatal infections may precipitate such outcome in similar fashion.
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Works Cited
Brown, A. S., Begg, M. D., Gravenste, S., Schaefer, C. A., Wyatt, R. J., Bresnahan, M., et al.
(2004). Serologic Evidence of Prenatal Influenza in the Etiology of Schizophrenia. Arch Gen
Psychiatry , 61:774-780.
Klein, S. B., & Thorne, B. M. (2007). Biological Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers.