title: Unification of the findings in schizophrenia by reference to the effects of gestational zinc deficiency.
abstract: The hypothesis presented here suggests that schizophrenia is caused by the action of gestational zinc deficiency on genetically susceptible foetuses. The psychosis seen is suggested to be due to a combination of dietary or otherwise induced zinc deficiency and lack of zinc releasing capacity in the hippocampus. A non genetic but transmissable immune defect is suggested to be relevant to psychosis and to the nonmendelian pattern of inheritance of the disorder.
authors.affiliation: Charing Cross Hospital, Haematology Department, Fulham, London, UK.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc