Familial and genetic mechanisms in schizophrenia

A distinction should be made between generic aspects of schizophrenia and f amilial aspects. Genetic aspects of the disease have been reviewed and foun d to be deficient in many respects. Until recent years, familial factors we re assumed to be psychological in origin, but this assumption is now discre dited. Research efforts should focus on familial factors that are biologica l, especially infectious agents that may be transmitted within the family. Most infectious agents are influenced by predisposing genes. The etiology o f schizophrenia, then, may turn out to involve biological familial infectio us agents that are influenced by susceptibility genes governing the infecti ous process and the clinical expression of the disease. (C) 2000 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.