Therefore, more robust evidence is mounting to support the role of childhood trauma in the etiology of psychosis. Only one population-based study26 could not confirm the link STAT phosphorylation between childhood trauma and psychosis. In this prospective study, no increase in schizophrenia was found among adults who had histories of sexual abuse in childhood according to official records. However, a recent study by this group found a relationship between documented abuse and psychosis21 using a longer follow-up period. Table I. Population-based studies investigating the association between childhood abuse Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and psychosis. Adj, adjusted

for confounders. OR, odds ratio; RR, relative risk. Adapted from ref 56: Morgan C, Fisher H. Environment and schizophrenia: environmental factors … Possible pathways from childhood abuse to psychosis Less is known about, the mechanisms underlying Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the association between childhood trauma and psychosis. A few studies have indicated that, childhood trauma (particularly childhood sexual abuse) may result in even higher rates of psychosis or psychotic Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical symptoms when it, occurs together with cannabis use.27,28 Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that negative perceptions of the self, anxiety, and depression partially mediated associations between trauma (not always limited to childhood) and psychotic symptoms.22,29 They suggest

strong relationships between negative personal evaluations and low self-esteem, negative affect, and the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical characteristics of positive symptoms. Lardinois et al30 found a significant, interaction between daily life stress and childhood trauma on both negative affect, and intensity of symptoms in patients with psychosis, suggesting that, a history of childhood trauma is associated with increased sensitivity

to stress. Biological mechanisms such as reduced cortical thickness31 and dysregulated Cortisol32 following exposure to childhood trauma have also been recently investigated which may well facilitate the development Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of psychosis. Moreover, gene-environment interactions are likely to play a role in the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis. In a recent study, Alemany et al33 found that the relationship PDK4 between childhood abuse and psychosis was moderated by the BDNF-Va166Met polymorphism. In a sample of 533 students, Met carriers reported more positive psychotic-like experiences when exposed to childhood abuse than did individuals carrying the Val/Val genotype. These preliminary studies provide direction for future exploration, ideally in longitudinal datascts, of the mechanisms that may form the pathway between childhood trauma and psychosis. Additional psychopathology One of the most prevalent consequences of childhood abuse is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).