Evidence for phenotypic plasticity in response to photic cues and the connection with genes of risk in schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT: Numerous environmental factors have been identified as influential in the development of schizophrenia. Some are byproducts of modern life, yet others were present in our evolutionary past and persist to a lesser degree in the current era. The present study brings together published epidemiological data for schizophrenia and data on variables related to photic input for places of residence across geographical regions, using rainfall as an inverse, proxy measure for light levels. Data were gathered from the literature for two countries, the former Yugoslavia and Ireland, during a time in the early 20th century when mobility was relatively limited. The data for Yugoslavia showed a strong correlation between hospital census rates for schizophrenia (by place of birth) and annual rain (r = 0.96

SUBMITTER: Miller CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3705146 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature