Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder affecting about 1% of the population, characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. While it has a strong genetic component, inheritance is not strictly from the mother or father it's polygenic and multifactorial, involving multiple genes and environmental factors.

Heritability estimates range from 60–80%, based on twin studies. Identical twins (sharing 100% DNA) have a 40–50% concordance rate if one is affected, compared to 10–15% for fraternal twins (sharing ~50% DNA). This confirms genetics play a major role, but no single "schizophrenia gene" exists. Instead, risk involves hundreds of common genetic variants (e.g., in genes like COMT, DISC1, or NRG1) plus rare mutations (e.g., copy number variants).

Parental transmission: Risk is roughly equal from either parent. If one parent has schizophrenia, a child's lifetime risk rises to ~10–13% (vs. 1% in the general population). If both parents are affected, it jumps to ~40%. Studies, including a 2023 meta-analysis in Nature Genetics, show no significant maternal or paternal bias in transmission for most cases. However, rare exceptions involve genomic imprinting (where gene expression depends on parental origin). For instance, certain 15q11-13 duplications linked to schizophrenia may show maternal-specific effects, but these account for <1% of cases.

Environment interacts with genetics: prenatal infections, stress, cannabis use, or urban upbringing can trigger onset in genetically vulnerable individuals. Epigenetic changes (e.g., DNA methylation) may also differ by parental line but don't favor one parent overall.

In summary, schizophrenia isn't "inherited from mom or dad" it's a shared genetic lottery influenced by both, amplified by environment. Family history increases risk symmetrically. Early intervention via therapy and antipsychotics improves outcomes. Consult a genetic counselor for personalized risk assessment.

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Sources: American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5-TR); Sullivan et al. (2003) twin meta-analysis; Schizophrenia Working Group (2014, 2023) genomic studies; NIH Genetics Home Reference.