Late Onset Schizophrenia

Book excerpt: Schizophrenia, which starts in middle age or late life, has been described as 'the darkest area of psychiatry.' It is certainly controversial, with much disagreement about cut-off ages, diagnostic criteria and nomenclature. The contributors to this unique and very important book represent views from Europe and North America as well as Australia, Japan, and Nepal; they come from backgrounds of clinical practice and research. The contributors and editors were motivated by common aims: to review current international knowledge about late onset schizophrenia, to debate issues of heterogenity, gender, brain maturation and aging, putative structural and functional cerebral substrates for psychosis, to reach consensus on diagnosis and terminology, and to future research directions. The resulting book is an unqualified success which as well as being invaluable in old age psychiatry, sheds light on all aspects of schizophrenia treatment and research.