Schizophrenia is a long-term psychiatric disorder that causes social withdrawal, hallucinations, delusions and disability. Schizophrenia affects over two million Americans, roughly one percent of the U.S. population. The symptoms of schizophrenia generally begin in young adulthood, and symptoms can intensify slowly and gradually. Onset of schizophrenia in women is often later than in men. …
Change to in utero brain development caused by a certain molecule could increase a person’s risk of developing schizophrenia and a variety of other psychiatric problems, according to a team of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute. The researchers, led by Professor Jerold Chun, focused on a lipid molecule called lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which is …
Regular aerobic exercise may improve cognition and memory in people with schizophrenia, according to a new study published in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin. The study examined 33 schizophrenia patients randomly assigned to two treatment groups. The first group, a control, received a standard treatment regimen for the psychotic disorder. The other group received the standard …
A new report is challenging the way we think about psychosis and schizophrenia. After 20 years of research, a group of psychologists from eight U.K. universities say that our view of schizophrenia as a frightening, dangerous disease may be counterproductive. “Psychosis” is traditionally defined as a loss of touch with reality. In schizophrenia, this often …
Researchers with the University of California (UC), San Francisco, have identified abnormalities in the brain activity of mice that could be linked to schizophrenia symptoms in humans. These abnormalities may contribute to difficulties in learning, concentration and decision-making, the study suggests. Previous research has found a connection between schizophrenia and a group of neurons in …
When one spouse in a marriage has schizophrenia, it is often because they met before the onset of the illness. “Schizophrenia makes it hard for people to form close bonds. People tend to stay single,” says schizophrenia expert Dr. Dost Ongur. The onset of schizophrenia can be jarring for the healthy spouse. Someone you …
Scientists do not know the precise causes of schizophrenia. However, they do believe that certain genetic and medical factors interact with a person’s environment to bring about a schizophrenia diagnosis. Here are some of those key factors: Genetic Factors: Schizophrenia clearly has a genetic component. For years scientists have observed that it runs in …
There are a lot of common misconceptions about schizophrenia. Here are some of the most widespread schizophrenia myths: Myth: People with schizophrenia have multiple personalities 64 percent of American believe that schizophrenia involves split personalities. But this belief is completely untrue. Multiple personality disorder, which is unrelated to schizophrenia, is the actual cause of split …
Growing evidence suggests that illicit drug use may be one of the many genetic and environmental factors that trigger schizophrenia. Researchers have focused on marijuana as a possible trigger, however, they are unsure about the exact nature of the link between marijuana and psychosis. One view posits that the gene which indicates a risk for …
The largest study conducted of people with schizophrenia has found 83 new gene locations, with some in surprising places. These findings will allow researchers to pursue new theories about what causes schizophrenia and how to treat it. For this study, the researchers looked at the genetic codes of 36,989 people with schizophrenia and 113.075 people …
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