Final answer:
Schizophrenia is recognized by periods of remission and exacerbation, affects about 1% of the US population, and involves altered neurotransmission, with treatment usually requiring lifelong medication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse should recognize that the statement "Schizophrenia is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation" is accurate about schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness that affects about 1% of the population in the United States, and it does not discriminate based on socioeconomic status, making option A incorrect. Additionally, schizophrenia does not affect 10% of the world's population, as stated in option C, which is a significant overestimate. Regarding option D, the onset of schizophrenia typically occurs in late adolescence or early 20s for both genders, but it has been observed that men often experience the onset of symptoms slightly earlier than women, not the other way around.
The disease involves both «positive» symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, and «negative» symptoms, including emotional flatness and loss of pleasure. The role of neurotransmitters like dopamine in schizophrenia is also crucial, as antipsychotic medications work by altering dopamine neurotransmission. Despite treatment, schizophrenia often requires lifelong medication management, and its course can feature periods of better (remission) and worse (exacerbation) symptoms, which aligns with option B.