Heredity and Environment in the Functional Psychoses

Heredity and Environment in the Functional Psychoses involves an epidemiological clinical study of twins carried out at the University Psychiatric Institute in Oslo. The author reviews the history and nosological aspects of psychiatry. In his study of twin genetics, the author seeks to answer the questions "What is inherited?" and "How is it inherited?" In his review of 342 pairs of twins in the Central Register of Psychosis, his study had the following aims: to obtain true concordance figures for all types of functional psychoses; to study problems pertaining to nosology; and to study a larger sample of discordant pairs in order to clarify crucial environmental factors. His findings show that concordance figures for schizophrenia are 25-38 per cent in monozygotic twins and 4-10 per cent ion dizygotic twins. He points out that the difference in such concordance rates between the two types of twins is statistically significant. The data supports the (weak) assumption of a genetic factor in the etiology of schizophrenia. Behavioral scientists, psychiatrists, child psychologists, and researchers involved in genetics will find this book helpful and informative.

I Introduction Historical Survey Schizophrenia Nosological Aspects Heredity and Environment The Rationale of the Twin Method Methodological Problems General Remarks Concordance Figures Brief Review of Earlier and Current Twin Studies General Remarks Twin Studies in PsychosisII Aims of the InvestigationIII Sample and Methods The Registries The Birth Register The Twin Register The Central Register of Psychosis Comparison of the Twin Register with the Register of Psychosis Hospital Records The Population Registers Zygosity Diagnosis Psychiatric Investigation of the Families An Anecdote The Reliability of the Psychiatric Interview Supplementary Information Coding of DataIV Classification Psychiatric Diagnosis Schizophrenia Schizophreniform Psychosis Borderline States Reactive Psychosis Manic-Depressive Psychosis Organic Psychosis Neurosis Psychopathy Syndrome Diagnosis Global Mental Health Rating Reliability of Psychiatric ClassificationV Statistical ProcedureVI Frequency of Functional Psychosis in the Twin Sample in Comparison with the General Population Discussion VII Survey of the Sample Sex, Age, Zygosity Age at Onset of Schizophrenia Type of OnsetVIII Concordance Calculation of Concordance Rates Concordance Figures Schizophrenia Reactive Psychosis Manic-Depressive Psychosis Summary of the Monozygotic Pairs with Regard to Concordance Sex and Concordance Severity and Concordance Discussion of Methodology Sources of Error due to Sampling Sources of Error due to Doubtful Zygosity Diagnosis Sources of Error due to Risk PeriodIX Comparison of Own Findings to Previous Studies Concordance Figures for Schizophrenia Sex and Concordance in Schizophrenia Severity and Concordance in Schizophrenia Concordance Figures for Manic-depressive Psychosis Sex and Concordance in Manic-Depressive PsychosisX The Co-Twin's Personality The Co-twins of the Schizophrenic Monozygotic Twins Discussion The Co-twin of the Monozygotic Twin with Reactive Psychosis The Co-twin of the Manic-depressive Monozygotic Twin Comparison of SyndromesXI The Twin RelationshipXII Factors in Childhood and Adolescence Related to Schizophrenia Birth Order, Birth Weight, and Physique Personality Traits in Childhood Nervous Symptoms in Childhood School Performances Premorbid Personality Traits Sex Life Social Adjustment DiscussionXIII Comparison between the Schizophrenic Concordant and Discordant Cases The Genetic Hypothesis The Environmental HypothesisXIV The Social Environment Social Class Social Isolation Family RelationsXV The Parents and the Siblings Personality Deviations and Illness in the Parents Personality Deviations in the Siblings Association of Mental Health by Sex Impressionistic Data on the Sibling PositionsXVI Twins Brought Up Apart Own Findings DiscussionXVII General Discussion and ConclusionXVIII Summary Appendix 1 Summary Table of the Monozygotic PairsAppendix 2 Four Twin Case HistoriesAppendix 3 Explanatory Notes and AbbreviationsAppendix 4 Papers Based on Research Reported in this BookReferencesAuthor IndexSubject IndexPublisher's Note The Case Histories of the Schizophrenic and the Schizophreniform Twins and Their Cotwins are to Be Found in a Second Volume (In This Book Designated Volume 2 ) Which has been Printed on Offset by Universitetsforlaget