Schizophrenia News and Research

RSS

Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating disorder which affects more than two million Americans, and millions more worldwide. While significant progress has been made in understanding the disease and developing treatments, there remains a significant unmet medical need. More than 50% of patients switch their medication in a given year due to either poor response or the experience of adverse events.

Neurons derived from human stem cells can predict the cardinal features of psychiatric illness

In a breakthrough that holds significant promise for early diagnosis and better treatment of psychiatric illness, researchers have for the first time used neurons derived from human stem cells to predict the cardinal features of a psychiatric illness, such as psychosis and cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

11 Jan 2022

Scientists discover hotspots in the 'dark genome' associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Scientists investigating the DNA outside our genes - the 'dark genome' - have discovered recently evolved regions that code for proteins associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

24 Dec 2021

Multiple changes in brain cells during embryonic development may contribute to schizophrenia

Multiple changes in brain cells during the first month of embryonic development may contribute to schizophrenia later in life, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

17 Dec 2021

Adults with rare genetic changes have poorer health, says study

According to a study, grown-ups with certain genetic causes of mental health and other brain disorders had substantially increased rates of chronic disease.

17 Dec 2021

Detecting high-impact rare genetic variants in individuals with severe schizophrenia

New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that examining genetic mutations in individuals with severe schizophrenia can improve the ability to detect disease-associated rare genetic variants.

15 Dec 2021

Study provides new insight into the genetics of severe schizophrenia

Columbia University researchers have determined that individuals who suffer from the most severe form of schizophrenia have a significantly higher number of rare mutations than more typical forms of the illness.

14 Dec 2021

Persistency allows value signals to be most effectively coded across different brain areas

In 2019 University of California San Diego researchers discovered the area of the brain where "value decisions" are made.

24 Nov 2021

Microbiome differences in autism reflect dietary preferences, says study

Earlier studies suggest that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be partly due to differences in the gut microbiota composition.

15 Nov 2021

Study sheds light on how genes and air pollution elevate healthy people’s depression risk

A genetic predisposition for depression combined with exposure to high-particulate-matter air pollution greatly elevates the risk that healthy people will experience depression, according to a first-of-its-kind study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences from neuroscientists at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, on the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, and Peking University in Beijing, China.

9 Nov 2021

Genetic liability to mental health conditions may affect a person's choice of residence

Living in cities has been highlighted as an environmental risk factor for schizophrenia and, to a lesser extent, other mental health conditions. However, few studies have explored genetic effects on the choice of residence.

28 Oct 2021

Eating mushrooms may benefit a person's mental health, study reveals

Mushrooms have been making headlines due to their many health advantages. Not only do they lower one's risk of cancer and premature death, but new research led by Penn State College of Medicine also reveals that these superfoods may benefit a person's mental health.

From Penn State University 13 Oct 2021

Regulatory network impacting brain evolution found in “junk DNA,” says study

Human DNA has a close resemblance to that of the chimpanzee, which in evolutionary terms is the closest living relative of humans.

13 Oct 2021

Researchers discover that existing drug can enhance memory

A group of scientists identified that a prevailing drug for treating constipation might boost an individual’s capability to think with better clarity.

4 Oct 2021

Polygenic risk scores are no better in predicting disease, says study

Scientists went through the records of more than 8,000 schizophrenia patients and identified a tool used for assessing an individual’s genetic risk for a disease.

8 Sep 2021

UMSOM study suggests a genetic basis behind instantaneous human compatibility

Have you ever met someone you instantly liked, or at other times, someone who you knew immediately that you did not want to be friends with, although you did not know why?

2 Sep 2021

Study discovers link between corticosteroid receptors and hippocampal neuroplasticity, ciliary genes

Chronic stress is a well-known cause for mental health disorders. New research has moved a step forward in understanding how glucocorticoid hormones ('stress hormones') act upon the brain and what their function is.

9 Aug 2021

Study shows astrocytes induce sex differences during brain development

Scientists have found that when brain cells develop, they may find various ways to link with each other based on sex.

21 Jul 2021

Study reveals neurotransmitter releases impairments in schizophrenia patients

A research team revealed that neurotransmitter release in the brain is impaired in patients with schizophrenia who possess a rare, single-gene mutation.

16 Jul 2021

Lipidomics study reveals schizophrenic patients’ resistance to antipsychotic drugs

Scientists discovered 22 lipids in the blood plasma of schizophrenia patients that were linked to slower symptom improvement over time.

8 Jul 2021

Genetic treatment may provide a new approach to addressing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

For the first time, scientists have linked distinct patterns of genetic mutations with OCD in humans using genome-wide analysis.

29 Jun 2021