Week of February 1st

Thanks to Steven McCarroll and Beth Steven on the results of their study that have provided researchers with the first biological handle of Schizophrenia. By using advanced statistical methods to analyze genome. Scientists have had success in understanding the causes of schizophrenia, understanding it more means understanding the causes, knowing the causes means building up a prevention and also building up a drug to help further .The drugs that were there before and now, have only succeeded in reducing symptoms but not a cure.... This new findings doesn't mean a cure, it means it could lead to a cure. Just like its mentioned in the article with the at - risk genetic profile once freshen out completely they will be discovery of biomarkers to clarify prognosis.

This article is profound in its implications for schizophrenia. It is the first step towards not just understanding the symptomatic picture, but the underlying pathogenesis to how the disease can manifest. Schizophrenia has been attributed to genetic predisposition, as well as environmental factors, however it seems there is a much more complex cause in proteins known as C4 (A-B). Through scientific research it has been found that these proteins lead to synaptic pruning which diminishes the neural connections formed in the pre-frontal cortex. This area has often shown to be thin in patients with schizophrenia. Additionally this area of the brain is in control of thinking processes and higher functioning order that is blunted in schizophrenic patients. While there are numerous therapies that can stabilize or control symptoms of schizophrenia this can have a huge implication in the future as gene therapy may be possible for adolescents and young adults from preventing rapid synaptic pruning and thus rapid progression to Schizophrenia. It will be interesting to see how this research is further developed and if there can a better prognostic tool which can tell us if someone will have schizophrenia before manifestation of symptoms occur.

Years ago, I must admit that I once viewed schizophrenia as a disorder of crazy people. Schizophrenia was once associated with persons who were demon possessed,evil, unintelligent,doped with drugs,or simply "out of their mind." Today, scientists and advances in medicine have provided us with a broader understanding of schizophrenia along with treatments for this disease which afflicts millions of Americans. Undoubtedly, schizophrenia is a problem that people face across all nationalities. My Haitian neighbor had an 18 year old son who was institutionalized because of symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Dr. Nolan in the story Beautiful Mind, demonstrates how the mind of a schizophrenic patient functions during periods of psychosis. Understanding the relationship between genetics and symptoms of this disease will hopefully bring about better treatment modalities. The work done by present researchers in this article serves to elucidate the organic nature of the disease which further dispels former myths of the origin of schizophrenia.

I think it is very important that we continue to research Schizophrenia along with the other similar disorders to better understand the pathogenesis which will guide future therapy and medication remedies to help these people who suffer from such a horrible condition. The delusions, hallucinations, psychosis and other positive symptoms that can accompany Schizophrenia can be somewhat controlled with medications, but still the negative symptoms usually persist and affect the patients life and level of functioning. I hope that one day we can better understand Schizophrenia and develop new treatment for people who are suffering from this disease.

The first step in developing any sort of efficacious treatment is understanding at a base level of foundation. The breakthrough that focuses on pruning, the process of shedding neural connection in development, gives us a focus point, instead of taking a shot in the dark. With understanding that pruning is the foundation, we can start uncovering more with regards to when, how, and what conditions can lead to excessive pruning, such as that in Schizophrenia. Along with finding out pruning, it was extremely optimistic that we found the C4 gene, to allow us to take a look on the more genetic and molecular level. Although we are quite a ways away from figuring out Schizophrenia and finding a more acceptable treatment to mitigate the effects of Schizophrenia, this is certainly a positive step in the right direction.

I think this article does a good job of highlighting that people with schizophrenia are being treated for symptoms and that there is good research pointing to a biological origin of the disease. This is great for people as it could possibly lead to genetic testing that can identify a potential risk factor for developing schizophrenia. Genetic testing can be a great tool to use in order to inform people who have family history, for example, of schizophrenia and let them know what their chances are for developing the disease. It is also great in early detection as there are people who have been shown to exhibit neurological pruning at a faster rate and whose brains show signs of developing schizophrenia during adolescence. It also helps with predicting a possible outcome and preparing people at risk and their families of what life with schizophrenia may be like. However, as there are many other factors that can contribute to schizophrenia this research should not be looked at as a definitive marker for someone developing schizophrenia. This is exciting research and hopefully it is continued along with research into other risk factors such as environmental, nutritional, etc.

This article on schizophrenia is interesting. There is so much to learn from imaging, such as changes from enlarged ventricle and cortical atrophy, and gene studies, to help aid in maintenance and treatment. It was fascinating to discover that C4-A gene causes pruning at a faster rate leading to schizophrenia. The pruning process during neural connections are shed in adolescence. It’s unfortunate for an adolescence to have the gene and get symptoms early on. It’s scary that we don’t’ fully understand this disease. And treatments all have side effects, even with atypical antipsychotics. Hopefully through more research, we can find treatments with fewer side effects for the patients, especially the ones diagnosed in early adolescences.