Schizophrenia News and Research

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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.

New class of proteins can help treat neurological diseases

At the University of Texas Health Science Center, scientists have identified a new group of proteins that guard synapses against damage.

20 Jul 2020

Unfamiliar social interactions can produce negative emotions in people with autism

Some individuals love meeting new people, while others abhor the idea. For individuals with conditions such as autism, unfamiliar social interactions can produce negative emotions such as fear and anxiety.

15 Jul 2020

CU scientists identify key role of brain's immune cells during development

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have identified how specific brain cells interacting during development could be related to neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including some that occur later in life.

10 Jul 2020

Researchers track how key brain receptor works

For the first time, researchers in the lab of CSHL Professor Hiro Furukawa have been able to track each atom in the NMDA receptor, an important brain protein, as it transmits or inhibits neural signals.

1 Jul 2020

Study uncovers new genetic variants linked to type-2 diabetes

After examining the genes of more than 200,000 people all over the world who have type-2 diabetes, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Veterans Health Administration's Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center found hundreds of genetic variants never before linked to the disease.

24 Jun 2020

Study uncovers two brain phenomena that may explain ketamine's side-effects

Researchers have identified two brain phenomena that may explain some of the side-effects of ketamine. Their measurements of the brain waves of sheep sedated by the drug may explain the out-of-body experience and state of complete oblivion it can cause.

12 Jun 2020

Study reveals structure of an activated dopamine receptor

Dopamine, a chemical that sends messages between different parts of the brain and body, plays a key role in a variety of diseases and behaviors by interacting with receptors on cells.

11 Jun 2020

Synthetic molecule suppresses drug cravings with fewer side effects

A new synthetic molecule selectively reduces the physiological rewards of cocaine in mice.

1 Jun 2020

Genetic discoveries raise the promise of developing new treatments for schizophrenia

In recent years, genome-wide association studies have identified many different genetic variants associated with schizophrenia.

22 May 2020

Researchers develop a reliable technique for assessing the role of lncRNAs

The discovery of a huge number of long non-protein coding RNAs, aka lncRNAs, in the mammalian genome was a major surprise of the recent large-scale genomics projects.

18 May 2020

Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Linked To Improved Gut Bacteria Composition In Obese People

The human gut microbiota consists of bacteria, fungi, and viruses constituting an inner chemical factory producing a multitude of microbial compounds.

7 May 2020

Father's Toxoplasma infection may be transmitted to subsequent generations

Australian researchers have revealed for the first time that males infected with the Toxoplasma parasite can impact their offspring's brain health and behavior.

28 Apr 2020

Biophysicists uncover new features of molecular elevator

Biophysicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have visualized a nearly complete transport cycle of the mammalian glutamate transporter homolog from archaea.

21 Apr 2020

Rare structural genetic variants could play a role in schizophrenia

Most of the research focused on the genetics of schizophrenia has aimed at understanding the function played by genes in the development and heritability of schizophrenia.

17 Apr 2020

Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Secrets Of Schizophrenia

Most research about the genetics of schizophrenia has sought to understand the role that genes play in the development and heritability of schizophrenia.

17 Apr 2020

Combined effect of rare mutations has negative impact on health and longevity

In a study published recently in the eLife journal, researchers have reported that the combined effects of rare and damaging mutations that occur at birth itself have adverse effects on health span and longevity.

13 Apr 2020

Study shows some genetic variants have stronger effects on RNA expression even before birth

The prefrontal cortex of the human brain experiences a wider spectrum of developmental activity right from early prenatal development until childhood.

8 Apr 2020

Study unveils genetic variants that play key role in psychiatric, neurological conditions

The cerebral cortex is important for memory, thinking, attention, and information processing. It is an outer, folded, and comparatively thin “gray matter” layer of the brain.

27 Mar 2020

Regulating ion flow using a ball-and-chain mechanism

Ion channels that permit potassium and sodium ions to move in and out of cells are essential for the function of the brain and heart, and also for neuronal “firing” in the central nervous system.

19 Mar 2020

Study finds impact of specific gene on neurodevelopment, causing ASD and macrocephaly

During the developmental phase of brains, a number of moving parts occur—and if mutations occur during the early neurodevelopment, it can result in disorders such as autism and macrocephaly.

12 Mar 2020