New Clues to Schizophrenia
May 15, 2012 -- Scientists have developed a test that may be able to predict who is at risk for schizophrenia, a complex mental illness that is thought to run in families. To develop the test, scientists used a new approach to identify a comprehensive group of genes most likely linked with the disease.
"We have really broken the code," says researcher Alexander B. Niculescu III, MD, PHD, associate professor of psychiatry and medical neuroscience at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis. "We have identified the most comprehensive and best list of genes so far."
The new model depicts schizophrenia as a disease that occurs from a mix of genetic variations affecting the brain's development and connections, along with stress and other environmental factors.
The study is published in Molecular Psychiatry.
A Visual Guide to Schizophrenia
"We have really broken the code," says researcher Alexander B. Niculescu III, MD, PHD, associate professor of psychiatry and medical neuroscience at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis. "We have identified the most comprehensive and best list of genes so far."
The new model depicts schizophrenia as a disease that occurs from a mix of genetic variations affecting the brain's development and connections, along with stress and other environmental factors.
The study is published in Molecular Psychiatry.
A Visual Guide to Schizophrenia
Source...