A new study suggests a specific set of genes may cause the development of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that causes delusions and hallucinations for those living with it. It effects one percent of the population and is a major area of focus for many CMHA branches across Ontario.
Published in the online scientific journal Nature on January 27, 2016, researchers shared the discovery of gene variants of the human genome that are “strongly associated” with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that causes delusions and hallucinations for those living with it. It effects one percent of the population and is a major area of focus for many CMHA branches across Ontario.
One particular gene variant was found most prominent. This particular variant is understood to clean out the brain of debris. As young people reach adulthood, these genes activate and clear away brain cells no longer required, a process known as “synaptic pruning.” Researchers propose that the presence of this particular gene variant may signal an over-active synaptic pruning process, thus causing schizophrenia.
The study suggests that this theory may explain why schizophrenia tends to manifest in late adolescence or early adulthood, as well as provide a link to the immune system, which is known to be involved in the development of schizophrenia.
The hope is that these findings might lead to further discoveries related to treatments and early detection down the road.
For more details about this study, the largest of its kind, visit the Nature.com website.