Research Catalog

Schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder : the biological roots of mental illness as revealed by the landmark study of identical twins / E. Fuller Torrey in collaboration with Ann E. Bowler, Edward H. Taylor, and Irving I. Gottesman.

Title
  1. Schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder : the biological roots of mental illness as revealed by the landmark study of identical twins / E. Fuller Torrey in collaboration with Ann E. Bowler, Edward H. Taylor, and Irving I. Gottesman.
Published by
  1. New York : Basic Books, 1994.

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Details

Additional authors
  1. Torrey, E. Fuller (Edwin Fuller), 1937-
Description
  1. xxvi, 274 pages : illustrations; 24 cm
Summary
  1. Are schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder biological or the result of a traumatic upbringing? Are some people genetically destined to become schizophrenic? This book, the result of a landmark study, provides compelling evidence that both schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder are biologically based diseases of the brain, unrelated to psychological influences.
  2. E. Fuller Torrey and his colleagues conducted the largest study ever of pairs of identical twins in which one suffered from schizophrenia or manic-depressive disorder and the other did not, and discovered that the former almost always have structural and functional changes in their brains. The researchers concluded that while these diseases have a genetic component, they are most likely triggered by an outside biological force, such as a virus, either in utero or in infancy.
  3. Here is an important contribution to the ongoing debate over the origins of mental illness.
  4. The book establishes for the first time that the disease may originate very early in life, even though symptoms don't appear until young adulthood. Moreover, the authors show that - contrary to prevailing wisdom - schizophrenia does not change a person's underlying personality. Weaving poignant psychological portraits of twins through the book, the authors show how these case studies support the research findings.
Subject
  1. Bipolar Disorder > genetics
  2. Bipolar Disorder
  3. Diseases in Twins
  4. Diseases in twins
  5. Genetics, Medical
  6. Manic-depressive illness > Genetic aspects
  7. Manic-depressive illness
  8. Schizophrenia > Genetic aspects
  9. Schizophrenia > genetics
  10. Schizophrenia
Contents
  1. 1. The Politics and Science of Twin Studies -- 2. Are Identical Twins Really Identical? -- 3. Methodology of the Study -- 4. When Does Schizophrenia Originate? -- 5. Are Individuals Who Develop Schizophrenia Different as Children? -- 6. Does Schizophrenia Change the Structure of the Brain? -- 7. Does Schizophrenia Change the Function of the Brain? -- 8. Does Schizophrenia Change the Underlying Personality? -- 9. When Both Twins Get Schizophrenia, Are Their Diseases Similar? -- 10. How Different Are Twins with Bipolar Disorder from Twins with Schizophrenia? -- 11. Triplets and Beyond -- 12. What Do Twin Studies Tell Us About the Causes of Schizophrenia? -- Appendix A: Final Diagnostic Groups -- Appendix B: Neuropsychological Examination -- Appendix C: Neurological Examination -- Appendix D: Personality Inventory for Children.
Owning institution
  1. Columbia University Libraries
Bibliography (note)
  1. Includes bibliographical references and index.