Summary: The largest exome-sequencing study of schizophrenia to date has uncovered eight new genes tied to the disorder. Two genes, STAG1 and ZNF136, were strongly implicated, while six others showed…
Tag: Schizophrenia
Could Mental Illness Begin Before You’re Born?
Key Questions Answered: Q: When do genes linked to mental illness start affecting the brain?A: Many genes associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases are active during the earliest stages of…
Most Mental Illnesses Arise Without Family History
Summary: A massive Danish study shows that most mental illnesses—like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression—occur in people with no close family history of the condition. Analyzing data from over 3…
Hepatitis C Found in Brain Lining Linked to Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder
Summary: Researchers have discovered hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the brain lining of individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, suggesting a possible link between infection and psychiatric symptoms. The study…
Shared Genetic Signatures Found Across Psychiatric Disorders
Summary: Researchers have uncovered shared biological mechanisms across major psychiatric disorders by analyzing postmortem brain samples from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Instead of looking at gene expression broadly, they zoomed…
Inflammation Tied to Motivation Loss in Schizophrenia
Summary: A new study has uncovered a biological link between inflammation and motivational deficits in people with schizophrenia, identifying a promising treatment target for symptoms that current medications fail to…
Disrupted Myelin Protein Implicated in Schizophrenia
Summary: A new study has identified the protein hnRNP A1 as a key player in the production and maintenance of myelin, the fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers in the…
LSD-Inspired Drug Reverses Psychosis Brain Damage Without Hallucinations
Summary: A new LSD-derived compound called JRT shows promise for treating schizophrenia and other brain disorders without inducing hallucinations. Developed by researchers who altered just two atoms in LSD’s structure,…
Delusions Often Appear Before Hallucinations in Early Psychosis
Summary: A new study has found that delusions typically emerge before hallucinations in individuals at high risk for psychosis, overturning a long-standing belief that hallucinations drive delusional thinking. By analyzing…
Schizophrenia Risk May Begin in the Placenta
Summary: A new study highlights the placenta’s role in neuropsychiatric development, showing that DNA methylation influences gene expression tied to psychiatric disorders. Researchers found strong links between placental DNA methylation…
