Are there neurological and sensory risk factors for schizophrenia?
The association between left-handedness, epilepsy, and hearing impairment with schizophrenia was investigated using data from a cohort of 50,000 male Swedish conscripts linked to the Swedish National Register of Psychiatric Care. Though epilepsy was rare in this cohort, no association with schizophrenia was found. Left-handedness was associated with neither schizophrenia nor other psychoses. The study shows that, when studied from a population base, the apparent increase in neurodevelopmental anomalies in schizophrenia may be an artefact of bias. However, schizophrenia was 1.81 (95% CI 1.2-2.7) times higher amongst those with severe hearing loss, which may be preventable.
David
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Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
Malmberg
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Lewis
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Brandt
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Allebeck
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P
D000293:Adolescent; D001299:Audiometry; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013548:Sweden