Mystery of schizophrenia
Dr. Paul Latimer (Aug 24, 2016). Castanet Kelowna page: States of Mind. Retrieved from: http://www.castanet.net/news/States-of-Mind/174005/mystery-of-schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is one of the most frightening psychiatric diagnoses.
It is a chronic condition affecting about one per cent of the
population and is associated with some of the most notorious symptoms of
mental illness – hallucinations and delusions.
Schizophrenia is troubling because it often begins when a person is
in the prime of his or her life and can distort one’s ability to tell
what is real and what is not.
Schizophrenia can be difficult to treat and its causes and triggers are still a mystery.
A large-scale study published in 2014 in Nature has brought us a little bit closer to understanding this complex disease.
A collaborative group of researchers examined the genetic codes of
more than 150,000 people. Roughly 37,000 were diagnosed with
schizophrenia and results found 108 genetic markers for the risk of
getting the disease.
This is a big finding because the majority of these markers had not previously been reported.
Most people will have some of these genetic markers and still not
develop schizophrenia, but this study did find that those with the most
markers were 15 times more likely to develop the disease than those with
fewer of them.
This is very interesting and provides some insight into genetic vs. environmental triggers for the condition.
We have long known there seems to be a link between the immune system and schizophrenia.
Families with autoimmune disorders appear to be at increased risk and
there is a link between viral infections during pregnancy and higher
rates of schizophrenia in offspring.
The markers identified in this study confirm this immune system link.
Researchers associated with the study say it is now very clear the
immune system is involved with the condition.
Although it will still be many years before this information can lead
to new treatments for schizophrenia, it is a piece in the ongoing
puzzle.
There is still much to learn, but when scientists from around the
world work together and pool data from many thousands of people, it
certainly allows our understanding to move forward much more quickly
than when we work in isolation.
I look forward to seeing more results from this group and others as we continue to unlock the mystery of schizophrenia.
In the meantime, there are treatments available that help many with
this frightening condition. If you are concerned for yourself or a loved
one, contact your doctor now for help.
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