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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffIt's not known what causes paranoid schizophrenia. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that paranoid schizophrenia and other forms of schizophrenia are caused by brain dysfunction. Why and how that brain dysfunction occurs is still under investigation, though.
It's thought that an interaction of genetics and environment may lead to brain dysfunction that causes paranoid schizophrenia. Problems with certain naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters may also contribute to paranoid schizophrenia. Imaging studies show differences in the brain structure of people with schizophrenia, but researchers aren't yet sure about the significance of these changes.
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- Minzenberg MJ, et al. Schizophrenia. In: Hales RE, et al, eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.; 2008. www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 7, 2008.
- Schizophrenia. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/schizophrenia/complete-publication.shtml. Accessed Oct. 27, 2008.
- Jibson MD, et al. Schizophrenia and related disorders. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.
- Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders: Schizophrenia. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 30, 2008.
- Dyer JG, et al. Update on early intervention in schizophrenia. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing. 2008;46:19.
- Turkington D, et al. Cognitive behavior therapy for schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2006;163:365.
- Treating schizophrenia. A quick reference guide. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/. Accessed Dec. 9, 2008.
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- Treatment of patients with schizophrenia, 2nd ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/. Accessed Dec. 9, 2008.
