For example, schizophrenia typically appears around the 20s, but is rare in childhood. Why is it so rare to see in childhood?
In: Biology
Schizophrenia is related to a lack of synaptic pruning, which is where connections are cut in the brain. This is a process that goes through stages as you age up until about 24, it can go longer depending on the person. When people say your brain isn’t mature until 24, this is what they are talking about. Late teenage years to early twenties, this process moves farther from basic processes like seeing (ends at 6) and moves to the prefrontal cortex. This is a part of your brain responsible for personality, critical thinking, inpulse control among many other things.
So as this process moves brain regions as you age, a disorder of this process will only show its full effects after it ends.
(I am definitely not doing the best at explaining the biology. I am not a professional in this subject. I had two exes in my late teens and early twenties who were affected by these disorders and I’ve read a lot about them trying to understand what happened. My ex in highschool developed schizophrenia over senior year into freshman year. It was very confusing watching him change and not knowing what was happening. He had not had any symptoms of it that I noticed before. We’d been friends since 13. He was homeless and terrified and paranoid of everyone by 21. His parents couldn’t help him. My other ex developed bipolar. That was a lot slower. She committed suicide at 23. She also refused help.)
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