Ming T. Tsuang - Böcker

Schizophrenia is one of the most traumatic psychiatric disorders, both for the affected person and their family. It also carries an unfortunate stigma and suffers from frequent misinterpretation by the popular media. The disorder usually manifests itself through significant periods of hallucinations, bizarre delusions, and disorganized behaviour, but the individuals who suffer from this brain disorder are not generally violent, and do have periods of remission. However it is often difficult for these individuals to maintain a regular lifestyle and relationships at home and at work, and many individuals with schizophrenia end up unable to live independently or, worse, homeless. This new edition in the popular Facts series provides a concise and up-to-date account of the underlying causes and symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as current theories about the disorder. The authors look at all the current treatment options, both medical and psychological, together with likely side-effects and the problem of compliance with treatment. The role of the family and the community in caring for individuals with schizophrenia is also considered. The authors are experienced psychiatrists and psychologists with many years' experience in the treatment and study of schizophrenia. This book will provide a welcome source of information for individuals with schizophrenia, their family members, and those involved in caring for them.

The new edition of this critically praised textbook continues to provide the most comprehensive overview of the concepts, methods, and research advances in the field; particularly the application of molecular genomics and of neuroimaging. It has been revised and enhanced to capitalize on the strengths of the first and second editions while keeping it up-to-date with the field of psychiatry and epidemiology. This comprehensive publication now includes chapters on experimental epidemiology, gene-environment interactions, the use of case registries, eating disorders, suicide, childhood disorders and immigrant populations, and the epidemiology of a number of childhood disorders. As in the first and second editions, the objective is to provide a comprehensive, easy to understand overview of research methods for the non-specialist. The book is ideal for students of psychiatric epidemiology, psychiatric residents, general psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals.The book features a new editor, Peter Jones, from the University of Cambridge, who joins the successful US team of Ming Tsuang and Mauricio Tohen.

Leading and internationally recognized researchers review what is known about the liability to schizophrenia, how it progresses, what it looks like clinically-with an emphasis on a specific (proposed) syndrome of liability (schizotaxia)-and how best it might be treated now and in the near future. The authors summarize the latest findings on the genetic, early environmental, and neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia.

As more patients seek information about family risks of psychiatric illness - an interest likely to increase as gene-identification studies are publicized - most psychiatrists agree it is their role to discuss these issues but admit they are ill-prepared to do so. Psychiatric Genetics addresses that need as the first book to focus on clinical applications of genetics in psychiatry. It covers issues involved in genetic counseling, the interpretation of familial and genetic information for clinical use, information regarding risks associated with specific psychiatric disorders, risk/benefit considerations related to medication use during pregnancy, and the ethical and social implications of psychiatric genetic knowledge and research - including the prospects for genetic testing.While other books have been written for the genetics community, this volume is addressed to practitioners: a clinically relevant resource that can help them understand the often bewildering flood of information about genetics - information difficult to interpret, let alone integrate into practice - and enable them to respond to patients' requests to predict the risk of recurrence of psychiatric illness or provide information about reproductive and pregnancy-related issues. Experts from psychiatry, genetic epidemiology, molecular genetics, genetic counseling, cognitive psychology, and ethics focus on issues that have received little attention elsewhere yet are of increasing importance to clinicians. Written at a level that assumes no particular expertise in genetics, the book features these immediately applicable benefits: It offers a framework for understanding and critically evaluating the psychiatric genetic research literature, enabling clinicians to better understand the meaning and limitations of genetic discoveries when patients raise questions about media reports. It provides a resource for clinicians who would like more information about the role and content of genetic counseling, outlining a typical counseling session while demonstrating how risks are estimated and discussed. It summarizes genetic aspects of major psychiatric conditions - from childhood-onset disorders through psychotic, mood, and anxiety disorders to dementia - as well as neuropsychiatric manifestations of other genetic disorders. It alerts clinicians to risk/benefit considerations related to medication use during pregnancy. It covers the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic research and counseling, illustrating the dilemmas that arise with new advances. Whether used as a clinical guide, reference, or ancillary text, this book sets the standard for the application of psychiatric genetic knowledge in everyday practice. Psychiatrists, mental health clinicians, and genetic counselors will find it an essential resource for all patient encounters in which genetic issues arise.

The addresses the problem of prevention of major mental and substance use disorders at many levels in order to show how prevention efforts should be informed by a better understanding of etiology and by a knowledge of indicators of vulnerability. The volume addresses issues that are critical precursors to the prevention of mental disorders.

Leading and internationally recognized researchers review what is known about the liability to schizophrenia, how it progresses, what it looks like clinically - with an emphasis on a specific (proposed) syndrome of liability (schizotaxia) - and how best it might be treated now and in the near future. The authors summarize the latest findings on the genetic, early environmental, and neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia.

Several contributions in our first book about schizo affective disorders (Marneros and Tsuang, Schizoaffective Psychoses, Springer-Verlag, 1986) supported the assumption that schizoaffective disorders differ in relevant ways from schizophrenic disorders. The classification of schizo affective disorders as a subgroup of schizophrenia has also been criticized, and empirical research in clinical, genetic, therapeutic, and prognostic areas supports the idea that there are some strong similari­ ties between schizo affective and affective disorders. Of course, there are not only similarities between these two groups, but also differences just as there are between schizo affective and schizophrenic disorders. It is precisely the existence of similarities and differences between schizo affective disorders and the other two so-called typical mental disorders, i.e., schizophrenia and affective disorders, which makes them a challenge in psychiatric research, a challenge to the traditional dichotomy in the classification of disorders which originated with Kraepelin. This challenge is certainly proving fruitful in psychiatric research. These "cases in between" may well demonstrate that sep­ arating, dividing, and limiting is not always meaningful. Sometimes it can be more meaningful to unify; to unify in the sense of building bridges between typical groups. It is here that the assumption of a "psychotic continuum" can become relevant, and the investigation of schizoaffective disorders is of prime importance in research on a possible continuum of psychosis.

The positive versus negative distinction of schizophrenic disorders has pro- moted ongoing research. Phenomenology, psychopathology, biology, genet- ics, pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment, psychosocial and longitudinal research: all have found a new focus of interest. This volume attempts to provide an unbiased picture of the status of American and Eu- ropean knowledge regarding the positive/negative distinction. Researchers from North America and Europe describe the relation of modern concepts of positive and negative symptomatology to the original models of Rey- nolds and Jackson. Integrating phenomenological, genetic, and biological factors, the authors depict current methods of assessing positive and nega- tive symptomatology, differentiating between primary and secondary symp- tomatology, and using pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment. The stability of positive and negative symptoms over time and evidence for the occurrence of separate positive and negative episodes over a long-term course of schizophrenia are extensively discussed in terms of their implica- tions on the positive/negative construct.The relevance of the positive/nega- tive dichotomy to child and adolescent schizophrenia is also debated. The main aim of this book is not to advocate a single concept and present only arguments supporting it, but to discuss important controversies. Prob- lems concerning a concept cannot be solved by ignoring them. However, unanswered questions may be resolved through discussion, debate, and con- structive compromise.