Scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have identified a novel drug target that could lead to the development of better antipsychotic medications. Currently, treatment for patients with schizophrenia involves taking medications that block or interfere with the action of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which acts on dopamine D2 receptors in the brain. However, …
A recent study found that improper drug treatment is given to nearly 40 percent of patients that suffer from their first episode of schizophrenia. The researchers noted that this improper drug treatment can lead to patient’s long-term outcome, since schizophrenia is a chronic treatment, as well as problems that cause patients to stop taking their …
A gene that is associated with schizophrenia is also associated with brain development, which could help researchers explain the way the disease originates. The overproduction of the NOS1AP gene causes abnormalities in brain structure and faulty connections between nerve cells that prevent them from communicating correctly, says Bonnie Firestein, Ph.D., a Rutgers professor in the …
Researchers have found a specific brain network that is the last to develop, but first to show signs of neurodegeneration, which is more vulnerable to disorders that emerge in young people, shedding light on conditions such as schizophrenia and the potential genetic and environmental factors that may occur early in life. A team led by …
We invite those 18 to 85 years old who are experiencing involuntary movements in their face or other parts of their body- and suffer from schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or mood disorder- to see if they qualify for the Kinect 3 Study. The purpose of this clinical research study is to evaluate the effectiveness, …
A new family-focused culturally-informed therapy has been developed by researchers at the University of Miami (UM). This treatment is aimed at reducing patients’ symptoms and improving patient and caregiver emotional well-being, explained principle investigator Amy Weisman de Mamani, Associate Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at UM. “We have developed a …
Since it is unknown how genetic and environmental risk factors act together on an individual to cause schizophrenia, treatments heavily rely on treating symptoms rather than underlying causes. Because of this, patients can never achieve full remission. Researchers from UCD, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Beaumont Hospital, have published an improved characterization, …
Around 60 million people in the US may be infected with T. gondii, which comes from eating undercooked, contaminated meat, drinking contaminated water, and coming into contact with cat feces. According to a new research study, the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis – Toxoplasma gondii- may be attributed to around a fifth of schizophrenia cases in …
German researchers suggest that environmental factors have a major impact on the onset of schizophrenia. They found that individuals exposed to four or more environmental risk factors, such as perinatal brain insults, cannabis use, neurotrauma, psychotrauma, urbanicity and migration, developed schizophrenia approximately 8 years sooner than those not exposed to risk factors. In addition, it …
In bilingual people, impaired language may be an indicator of schizophrenia, new research suggests. Participants who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and spoke two languages had more speech impairments in their second language (L2) than in their first language. This included more incomplete sentences and repeated words. Lead author Daria Smirnova, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry …
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