Genetic mutations can cause schizophrenia

The gene mutation associated with schizophrenia seems to have severed the connection between the two regions of the brain responsible for memory and may be the main cause of brain disorders.

This is a study of new American scientists published in the journal Nature on March 31.

Scientists discovered that a mutation of the gene, known as 22q11 and often common in schizophrenic patients, hindered the connection between the hippocampus (a bulge in the brain floor). lateral ventricular) with prefrontal cortex. And this has caused cognitive problems.

Dr. Joshua Gordon of the University of Colombia in New York said: "This is the first step in determining what is going on in these brain regions and with a little more understanding we may be able to offer therapies to help these two brain regions talk to each other. "

In his study, Dr. Gordon and colleagues put healthy mice and mutated mice under a memory test and recorded the activity of these mice 's brains.

The mouse must cross a maze and remember the direction they went, then choose to go in the opposite direction to receive a reward.

The successful conclusion of this task in healthy mice requires two hippocampus and prefrontal cortex areas to work together.

Dr. Gordon said that mice with genetic mutations had trouble communicating between the two brain regions. However, more research is needed to conclude whether this hypothesis is true for humans with genetic mutations.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness. This disease, characterized by hallucinations, delusions and disordered thoughts, is more common in men than in women. One in every 100 people has one.

The disease usually starts quickly with acute symptoms that appear over several weeks or may start slowly over several months.

During illness, patients often become alienated from others, talk less with relatives, become anxious, anxious or afraid.

Currently, antipsychotic drugs such as AstraZeneca and Zyprexa Seroquel from Eli Lilly and Co can help patients with schizophrenia, but these drugs cannot cure mental illness and have can cause unpleasant side effects.