The Development of Schizophrenia

Recently published studies from two independent teams have demonstrated the relationship between various uncommon genetic mutations and impairments in neural development resulting ultimately in schizophrenia. According to the studies, these genetic mutations, namely deletions and duplications, were found in 15% and 20% of adult onset and child/adolescent onset schizphrenia patients, respectively. Such mutations in turn affect other genes essential to brain development. The obvious implications of this discovery are that a myriad of genes are potentially involved in the illness clinically diagnosed as schizophrenia.

These results may seem more to be a statement of the obvious rather than a significant advancement in the study of neural disorders, but one must begin somewhere. By identifying genes responsible for interference in other genes essential to developmental normality in an individual, researchers take one more step towards nailing down the genetic culprits. Interestingly, the commonly accepted model of schizophrenia suggests the aggregate effects of certain candidate genes, in combination with environmental factors, contribute to the neural disorder. However, a year ago, these same groups published results that indicated a similarity between schizophrenia and autism: the neural developmental disorders stem from "different, spontaneous, and individual rare" mutations in genetic structure.

I find this article of interest because it is yet another example of the nearly unfathomable complexity that is the human being; it is a reminder of the truly awe-inspiring design inherent in the human body. I also find it of interest because it represents the need for re-evaluation of current approaches to investigating the origins of neural developmental diseases.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102065.php