The cause of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is associated with disorders of the structure of the white matter of the brain
Anna Kerman, XX2 century, based on Medical Xpress: Schizophrenia disrupts the brain's entire communication system, researchers say
About 40 years ago, anomalies were first detected on computer tomograms of the brain of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Now an international team of researchers claims that schizophrenia is a disease that leads to large–scale destruction of the internal communication system of the brain.
The results of the new work are published in the publication Molecular Psychiatry. It became the largest analysis of the so-called white matter, the tissue that allows neurons to "communicate" with each other. The results of the study cast doubt on the theory that the symptoms of schizophrenia appear solely as a result of disorders in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. According to new data, "worn cables" with this disease are present literally everywhere. In patients suffering from schizophrenia, myelin, the natural "isolation" of nerve fibers, is damaged, and scientists found the most "scuffs" in the corpus callosum and the radiant crown. These parts of the brain are responsible for communication between the hemispheres and information processing, respectively.
"For the first time, we can confidently state that schizophrenia is a disease that disrupts the structure of the white matter of the brain as a whole," says Sinead Kelly, one of the lead co–authors of the study from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute at the University of Southern California. of Southern California).
The Keck School of Medicine, a division of which is the Institute of Neuroimaging, is considered one of the world leaders in the study of brain diseases. In this institution, psychiatrists, geneticists and neurologists join forces to conduct large-scale research and learn more about diseases of the nervous system.
"Our work will help to better understand the mechanisms underlying schizophrenia, a disease that, in the absence of proper treatment, often leads to disability, loss of housing, alcohol and drug abuse, and even suicide," adds Kelly. – The findings may lead to the discovery of new biomarkers. The latter, in turn, will allow scientists to evaluate patients' response to therapy."
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that about 26% of homeless people in shelters suffer from severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 21 million people live with schizophrenia worldwide. Drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia used today affect only the symptoms of the disease, since its causes are still unknown. Many patients are prescribed antipsychotics for life. Some patients face side effects of therapy, for example, weight gain, tremor, emotional stupor or severe forgetfulness.
The results of previous studies on the search for the "source" of schizophrenia often pointed to different areas of the brain. Scientists need to come to a consensus before starting to look for new answers. "To do this, it is necessary to collect and analyze the data obtained during the examination of the brain as a single organ," says Neda Jahanshad, another of the leading co–authors of the new work.
The researchers analyzed data from 1963 patients with schizophrenia and 2,359 healthy volunteers. Among those included in the sample were residents of Australia, Asia, Europe, South Africa and North America. To understand the scale of the new study, it is enough to say that up to 100 patients usually take part in the "typical" work. The next step of scientists will be to study the causes of pathological changes in the white matter. "Schizophrenia is attributed to diseases that are partially inherited, so it is possible that certain genes contribute to the development of the disease, causing small changes in the formation of the myelin sheath," says Kelly.
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