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A controlled family study of late-onset non-affective psychosis (late paraphrenia)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

R. J. Howard ,
C. Graham ,
P. Sham ,
J. Dennehey ,
D. J. Castle ,
R. Levy  and
R. Murray
R. J. Howard*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
C. Graham
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, London
P. Sham
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
J. Dennehey
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
D. J. Castle
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
R. Levy
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
R. Murray
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
Section of Old Age Psychiatry. Institute of Psychiatry, Dc Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London SES 8AF. Fax: 0171 701 0167
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Abstract

Background

The relationship between those schizophrenia-like conditions that have their onset in late life and early-onset schizophrenia is unclear. Very few family history studies of patients with late-onset psychosis have been reported, and it is not known whether their relatives have an increased risk of psychosis.

Method

Information was collected on the psychiatric morbidity of 269 first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia or delusional disorder with an onset after the age of 60 (late paraphrenia), and 272 first-degree relatives of healthy elderly control subjects, using a research diagnostic instrument.

Results

With a narrow age range (15–50 years) at risk, the estimated lifetime risk of schizophrenia was 1.3% in the relatives of both cases and controls. With a wider age range (15–90 years) at risk, estimated lifetime risk of schizophrenia was 2.3% for the relatives of cases, and 2.2% for the relatives of controls. However, depression was significantly more common among the relatives of cases than controls.

Conclusion

Those schizophrenia-like psychoses with onset in late life are not genetically associated with schizophrenia.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 170 , Issue 6 , June 1997 , pp. 511 - 514
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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