Paul H. Patterson – författare

The Origins of Schizophrenia synthesizes key findings on a devastating mental disorder that has been increasingly studied over the past decade. Advances in epidemiology, translational neuroscience technology, and molecular and statistical genetics have recast schizophrenia''s neurobiological nature, identifying new putative environmental risk factors and candidate susceptibility genes. Providing the latest clinical and neuroscience research developments in a comprehensive volume, this collection by world-renowned investigators answers a pressing need for balanced, thorough information, while pointing to future directions in research and interdisciplinary collaboration.The book, featuring a foreword by Robert Freedman, M.D., thoroughly examines these topics from the vantage points of epidemiologic, clinical, and basic neuroscience approaches, making it an essential resource for researchers in psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience and for clinical mental health professionals.

An examination of brain-immune system communication in autism, schizophrenia, and depression.

In Infectious Behavior, neurobiologist Paul Patterson examines the involvement of the immune system in autism, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder. Although genetic approaches to these diseases have garnered the lion''s share of publicity and funding, scientists are uncovering evidence of the important avenues of communication between the brain and the immune system and their involvement in mental illness. Patterson focuses on this brain-immune crosstalk, exploring the possibility that it may help us understand the causes of these common, but still mysterious, diseases. The heart of this engaging book, accessible to nonscientists, concerns the involvement of the immune systems of the pregnant woman and her fetus, and a consideration of maternal infection as a risk factor for schizophrenia and autism. Patterson reports on research that may shed light on today''s autism epidemic. He also outlines the risks and benefits of both maternal and postnatal vaccinations.

In the course of his discussion, Patterson offers a short history of immune manipulation in treating mental illness (recounting some frightening but fascinating early experiments) and explains how the immune system influences behavior and how the brain regulates the immune system, looking in particular at stress and depression. He examines the prenatal origins of adult disease and evidence for immune involvement in autism, schizophrenia, and depression. Finally, he describes the promise shown by recent animal experiments that have led to early clinical trials of postnatal and adult treatments for patients with autism and related disorders.