WASHINGTON: Scientists claim to have found a group of genes that cause schizophrenia, a breakthrough which they say could soon lead to new and better treatment for the complex mental illness that is thought to run in families . An international team led by researchers from the Indiana University in the US studied genetic information of thousands of schizophreniapatients and healthy controls and identified a comprehensive group of genes that can show if a person is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.
Evaluating the biological pathways in which the genes are active, the researchers also proposed a model of schizophrenia as a disease emerging from a mix of genetic variations that affect brain development and neuronal connections along with environmental factors, particularly stress. "At its core, schizophrenia is a disease of decreased cellular connectivity in the brain, precipitated by environmental stress during brain development, among those with genetic vulnerability," said lead study author Alexander Niculescu, an associate professor of psychiatry at IU School of Medicine.
Evaluating the biological pathways in which the genes are active, the researchers also proposed a model of schizophrenia as a disease emerging from a mix of genetic variations that affect brain development and neuronal connections along with environmental factors, particularly stress. "At its core, schizophrenia is a disease of decreased cellular connectivity in the brain, precipitated by environmental stress during brain development, among those with genetic vulnerability," said lead study author Alexander Niculescu, an associate professor of psychiatry at IU School of Medicine.
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