Schizophrenia Affects All Ages

Psychiatrist Asst.Prof.Dr. Onur Okan Demirci said that schizophrenia is a disease that often starts in the 20s but can be seen at any age. Asst.Prof.Dr. Onur Okan Demirci said, "It is thought that a group of patients whose symptoms of schizophrenia begin at a later age are associated with different clinical symptoms and risk factors. 13 percent of schizophrenia patients occur after the age of 40, 7 percent are over the age of 50, and 3 percent are older than 60." Dr. stated that if schizophrenia symptoms begin after the age of 45, clinical conditions called schizophrenia-like psychoses or late-onset schizophrenia should be considered. Demirci said, "Patients with schizophrenia that begins after the age of 60 are also considered to be a different clinical condition and are called very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis. As the age of onset of schizophrenia increases, the likelihood of it being seen in women increases compared to men. Especially in cases that start over the age of 60, the female gender is observed to be significantly increased." " he said.

Noting that a clinical picture similar to the paranoid schizophrenia subtype is often observed in late-onset schizophrenia patients, Dr. Demirci said, "In addition to paranoid delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations can also be seen. However, the differential diagnosis in these patients should be made carefully and the absence of another physical disease (brain tumor, brain hemorrhage, etc.) should be shown through necessary tests and examinations. Clinical symptoms are generally milder in late-onset schizophrenia cases." "For this reason, the disease course and response to treatment are better," he said.

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