Genetic Research in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has long been known to be an illness with significant evidence for a genetic predisposition. The purpose of this study is to determine the genetic abnormalities that cause childhood and adult onset schizophrenia.

It is known from genetic linkage and gene expression studies that the alpha 7 nicotinic receptor gene is abnormally expressed in people with schizophrenia. The immediate objectives of this proposal support the long-term objectives of a comprehensive description of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and new drug treatments by carefully defining the physiological genotype-phenotype relationship for a single candidate gene. Subjects and family members with a mental illness or who appear to have a mental illness will be asked to undergo an interview, perform some mental tests and have a blood, urine, and saliva sample taken one time.

Persons with schizophrenia

Inclusion Criteria:

• Individuals thought to have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, be the parent of such an individual, or be in the matched control group of unrelated individuals not thought to have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to give informed consent;
• Psychotic disorder judged to be secondary to substance abuse, psychotic disorder that appears to be secondary to a known medical or neurological disorder, or severe mental retardation