Genetic Testing for Schizophrenia: A Research Report

This research report focuses on genetic testing for schizophrenia, including prenatal complications and correlation between the disease and cognition. The report also discusses bias and limitations, hypothesis, research method, data collection, and further research.

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Title: Research Report
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Word Count: 1500
Referencing: APA
Date: 21.10.2018

Introduction
In this report the main area of study is the DNA or the genetic testing. This is basically a
procedure which includes the blood line and the genetic diagnosis determination. There are
certain diseases which are inherited and people are vulnerable to such diseases.
Schizophrenia is one such disease which is very complex and usually affects a person in their
later life. According to Ripke et al., (2014) the cause of such disease is mostly concluded to
be genetic in nature. As per Meehl (2017), there are no certain reasons for Schizophrenia yet,
there are influences on a person which arise out of their environment and some out of the
genetic reasons. There are many researches taking place which depicts the relative first
degree along with its condition to be a factor for risk (Ross, Saal, David & Anderson, 2013).
There are also instances of monozygotic twins. The main aim of this research report is to
focus on the genetic testing for schizophrenia.
Literature Review
Many papers have been reviewed for this research. The disease of schizophrenia can be
studied as a compound subject under psychology. There are many variants involved in this
study which are allelic and rare. Asarnow & Forsyth, (2013) states that the rare variant of
AOS causes the Childhood onset schizophrenia (COS) which shows a disorder form which is
superior and familial (Singh, et.al, 2016). The condition needs genetic testing. The articles
used here focuses on detailing of the disease which includes prenatal complications and are
commonly seen among the mothers who have been suffering from schizophrenia. The
mothers who are already affected by this disease can give birth to children suffering from the
same disease. The papers used here studies the correlation between the schizophrenia disease
and cognition (Sekar, et.al, 2016). This study infers that the cognition and community
functioning are correlated positively as there is a relation between the genetic effects of the

diseases and the patients affected by the same. In the paper of Kuo, et.al, (2018) the area of
study is the correlation between the disease, its patients and the genetic factors. The family
history can be studied so that the factors affecting the onset of schizophrenia can be
determined (Cosgrove, et.al, 2017). The mother is tested for prenatal factor determination.
The child might develop the disorder if the mother is facing complications during her
pregnancy period. The first article focuses on the correlation between cognition and
schizophrenia while the second one studies the subject matter of schizophrenia in a deeper
way.
Bias and Limitations
The medical records are being studied under the second approach of study and this is non-
personal as an analysis. There is hardly any scope of error in this case. Thus this self-testing
method is very error free. The source for the research was also a very non biased one. The
sample is free of bias and errors. However the first study has some inherent errors as they are
mainly based on past data and not on present works. The information and data of the first data
is erroneous as the changes in the medical field have changed the face of the disease as well.
The information in some cases is faulty or obsolete.
Hypothesis
There is genetic testing carried out on the people who are affected by schizophrenia.
The genetic psychologists are able to predict the cognitive incapacities regarding child who
might face the disabilities. The literature review studies the genetic disorder and the diseases
in details. As the doctors state the factors behind genetic disorders there is some other
research needed and so his hypothesis has been developed. The disease has an inherited
factor which is derived genetically. As the literature review has given some idea about the

correlation between the cognition and schizophrenia and the hypothesis aims at finding the
accuracy of the correlation and studies made in the past (Searles, 2018).
Research Method
Methodology
There are 1200 mothers who are being surveyed here for the research. They either
have the SZ or the cognitive defects. This sample consists of those who are from the North
American side. The research will be free from all kinds of interventions or manipulations. He
participants will be requested to participate but not forced. The archival design which is a
quantitative approach will make a descriptive study for this research. This facilitates the
attainment of a lot of data in very less time. The medical and the neuro records will be further
analysed. This will show the correlations between the genetic factors and associations. The
family history to the pregnancy complications, the overall mental health and the time of
disease onset will be studied and researched as they all impact the cause of schizophrenia.
Methodology-
The quantitative study or the research will be based on an archival design. There are
many responses collected from the sample which is a part of the qualitative research. The
quantitative designing of the research gives scope for creating the provisions for accuracy and
objectivity (Creswell & Creswell, 2017). The data collected from this research can be used
for the summary of the genetic testing process. The phenomena of schizophrenia are analyzed
by this research methodology.

Data collection
Sampling frame
The sampling frame is the source material or the device from which the sample for the
particular research will be obtained (Button, et.al, 2013). Here in this research a total of 1200
women or mothers are being surveyed for their responses. These mothers have children who
are also suffering from schizophrenia. The cognitive defects which originate genetically are
studied in this research. In the quantitative research the sampling frame is very significant.
The determination of the data values at an average is facilitated by the sampling frame of the
quantitative studies. This will also make the research error free.
Instrument
The medical records as well as the images of neuro will be utilized here for the
determination of the correlation between the genetic factor and then other determinants. The
other determinants include the family history, the onset of the disease, the complications
during the pregnancy phase, the mental health, etc. The chromosomal and the genetic relation
of schizophrenia and other factors are tested. The techniques of neuro imaging are can be
used for the production of an image function (Frith, 2014). The pharmacology of the nervous
system is also analyzed under this research design. The genetic relevance and the occurrence
of the disease are studied and the impacting factors are concluded here. The disorder risks are
more among the women in the age group of 50 or above. The information regarding every
participant in the research will be kept confidential and secret. The participants can also
withdraw their names from the research at any point.
Protection of participants
The data that will be collected from the participants will be safeguarded and secured.
The data will never be misused for any purpose. The data cannot be accessed in any way by

other people except the researcher. The data will also be kept confidential and the identity of
the participant will be anonymous.
Discussion
The disease studied in this paper which is that of schizophrenia is impacted by the
genetic factors as well as the neurological factors which influence the onset of the disease.
These factors are studied while diagnosing the disease. The hypothesis is tested against these
factors and the disability or the occurrence of the disease among children is predicted through
this. There is clear correlation between cognitive factors and the diseases of schizophrenia.
This can be confirmed with accuracy after genetic testing of the mothers who are already
affected by the schizophrenia or cognitive disability. This can be used for better predictability
of the disease among children.
Research finding
The major findings from this research include the inference that the mothers who are
suffering from the schizophrenia give birth to the children who can be born with the same
disease. The mothers suffering from schizophrenia giving birth to babies show abnormality in
the chromosomal structure of their children. The general population may not show these
kinds of defects or abnormalities in the chromosomes of their new born babies. The podcast,
posters, blogs, booklets, etc. will be used for the dissemination of the findings for the
research. The rates of schizophrenia occurrence can be related to the genetic testing.
Further research
The underlying factors of the research show that there are certain genetic factors
which impact the onset of this disease of schizophrenia. This can occur before the
adolescence stage. The treatment modality of the potential sufferers can be using the study of
the genotypes of the individuals. The efficacy as well as the safety of the cognitive

remediation can be used for the treatment of the various schizophrenia symptoms which are
seen among the children. This can also help in the improvement of the well being and the
health status of the children. This research is very effective in this case as ot helps to prevent
the increasing influence of schizophrenia.

References
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doi:10.1016/j.chc.2013.06.004
Button, K. S., Ioannidis, J. P., Mokrysz, C., Nosek, B. A., Flint, J., Robinson, E. S.,
&Munafò, M. R. (2013). Power failure: why small sample size undermines the
reliability of neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(5), 365.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3475
Cosgrove, D., Harold, D., Mothersill, O., Anney, R., Hill, M. J., Bray, N. J., ... & Barroso, I.
(2017). MiR-137-derived polygenic risk: effects on cognitive performance in patients
with schizophrenia and controls. Translational psychiatry, 7(1), e1012.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and
mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. Retrieved from http://www.ceil-
conicet.gov.ar/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Creswell-Cap-10.pdf
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