The purpose ofthis book isto provide acritical appraisal oftheconcept thatschizophreniacan becaused by viralinfections. The ability of viruses to cause psychiatric symptoms is not in question - the mental depression following a bout with mononucleosis or hallucinations associated with herpesencephalitisarewell-described examples. However,aviraloriginfor chronic disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, is another matter. The claim of an infectious etiology for these disorders has beenmetinthemainstream scientific community byavagueskepticism that occasionally erupts into stringent criticism. Too often, however, the viral hypotheses of these disorders is simply disregarded; marginalized with the hopethat itwillgoaway sothatthe "serious" researchaimed atuncovering therealcauseoftheseillnesses willnotloseitsfocus.This beingsaid,much of the criticism is valid, and as a researcher with formal training in both neuroscience and viral immunology, I view the proposed viral etiology of thesedisorderswithaskepticaleye. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore the growing number of well-performed studies pointing to the role of viral infections as important antecedents of schizophreniaand other disorders inthe schizophreniaspectrum. Inthe last 30 years there have been hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals presenting evidenceorpositingtheoriestosuggestthatatleastsomecasesof schizophrenia have a viral origin. Moreover, many schizophrenia experts have been calling for the recognition that schizophrenia isa heterogeneous group of disorders that may have different causes. This idea of disease heterogeneity is reaching a crescendo, and there is undoubtedly a place for viruses among alternative etiologies; but we have to look. The intellectual climate tolooknowisbetterthanitwas20yearsago,inpartbecause inthe last 2 decades a number of chronic diseases of unknown etiology (e.g. gastric ulcers, Kaposi's sarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma) have been ascribedtoinfectiouscauses.

Klappentext

The quest to discover the etiology of schizophrenia has fascinated and frustrated researchers for more than a century. In recent years, there has been an accumulation of experimental and epidemiological evidence supporting the role of viral infections in schizophrenia pathogenesis. This growing body of evidence has amassed to the point where the mainstream scientific community can no longer ignore it. Drawing on his research experience in biological psychiatry and neurovirology, Dr. Pearce provides the first book dedicated entirely to a critical appraisal of the viral hypothesis of schizophrenia. This book is an enlightening and valuable resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, neurobiologists, and their students. By integrating the latest findings in virology and immunology with current concepts in the pathophysiology of the non-affective psychotic disorders, this well illustrated volume disentangles the various sub-theories of the viral hypothesis, and lays the groundwork for more focused explorations of the mechanisms by which viruses may cause serious mental illness.

Inhalt
1 Introduction and History.- 1.1 A brief history of the viral hypothesis.- 2 Fundamentals of Viral Infections and Immune Responses in Humans.- 2.1 A primer on general virology.- 2.2 Immune response to viral infections.- 2.3 Persistent viral infections.- 3 Encephalitis and Schizophrenia.- 3.1 Viruses and schizophrenia: a plurality of theories.- 3.2 Psychosis in viral encephalitis.- 3.3 The validity gap for the encephalitis connection.- 3.4 Bona diseases virus.- 3.5 Viruses in other psychiatric diseases.- 4 Epidemiological Evidence.- 4.1 Epidemiological studies of the viral hypothesis.- 4.2 Seroepidemiological studies.- 4.3 Immune alterations in schizophrenia.- 5 The Role of Viral Infections During Neurodevelopment.- 5.1 Brain development.- 5.2 Immunology of the maternal-fetal unit.- 5.3 The viral-developmental hypothesis.- 5.4 Epidemiological studies of perinatal infections in adult schizophrenia.- 6 Model and Mechanisms.- 6.1 Specific models.- 6.2 A history lesson from oncology concerning the viral hypothesis.- 6.3 What a viral etiology of schizophrenia does not mean.- 6.4 Conclusion.