A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that years before adults develop schizophrenia, they experience cognitive difficulties as children, including problems with verbal reasoning, working memory and attention.
It's worth pointing out that the long-term study of just over 1,000 New Zealanders found that the number of kids who scored poorly in cognitive tests was large and the number who later went on to develop schizophrenia was tiny.
However, the study co-author Richard Keefe, director of Duke University's Schizophrenia Research Group says of the children who go on to develop schizophrenia: "These kids are lagging behind to begin with and they continue to fall behind".
Co-author Avshalom Caspi, the Edward M. Arnett Professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, comments that it's possible that a child who struggles to make sense of the world becomes more socially isolated or more delusional, Caspi said. "How does a brain that's ill-equipped to deal with novel sensations deal with the stresses of adolescence?"
The university says that the findings suggest that adult psychosis doesn't just emerge fully-formed. They believe it probably comes from a developmental process. "What we think of as adult psychiatric disorders have their roots much earlier in life," Caspi adds.
However, the study co-author Richard Keefe, director of Duke University's Schizophrenia Research Group says of the children who go on to develop schizophrenia: "These kids are lagging behind to begin with and they continue to fall behind".
Co-author Avshalom Caspi, the Edward M. Arnett Professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, comments that it's possible that a child who struggles to make sense of the world becomes more socially isolated or more delusional, Caspi said. "How does a brain that's ill-equipped to deal with novel sensations deal with the stresses of adolescence?"
The university says that the findings suggest that adult psychosis doesn't just emerge fully-formed. They believe it probably comes from a developmental process. "What we think of as adult psychiatric disorders have their roots much earlier in life," Caspi adds.
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