What Causes Schizophrenia?

  Scientists do not know the precise causes of schizophrenia. However, they do believe that certain genetic and medical factors interact with a person’s environment to bring about a schizophrenia diagnosis. Here are some of those key factors: Genetic Factors: Schizophrenia clearly has a genetic component. For years scientists have observed that it runs in …

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Common Schizophrenia Myths Busted

There are a lot of common misconceptions about schizophrenia. Here are some of the most widespread schizophrenia myths: Myth: People with schizophrenia have multiple personalities 64 percent of American believe that schizophrenia involves split personalities. But this belief is completely untrue. Multiple personality disorder, which is unrelated to schizophrenia, is the actual cause of split …

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Drug Use may Increase Risk of Schizophrenia

Growing evidence suggests that illicit drug use may be one of the many genetic and environmental factors that trigger schizophrenia. Researchers have focused on marijuana as a possible trigger, however, they are unsure about the exact nature of the link between marijuana and psychosis. One view posits that the gene which indicates a risk for …

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Novel Drug May Lead to Better Treatment for Schizophrenia

Scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have identified a novel drug target that could lead to the development of better antipsychotic medications. Currently, treatment for patients with schizophrenia involves taking medications that block or interfere with the action of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which acts on dopamine D2 receptors in the brain. However, …

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There is an Improved Need for Schizophrenia Care

A recent study found that improper drug treatment is given to nearly 40 percent of patients that suffer from their first episode of schizophrenia. The researchers noted that this improper drug treatment can lead to patient’s long-term outcome, since schizophrenia is a chronic treatment, as well as problems that cause patients to stop taking their …

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Schizophrenia may stem from Brain Protein Surplus

A gene that is associated with schizophrenia is also associated with brain development, which could help researchers explain the way the disease originates. The overproduction of the NOS1AP gene causes abnormalities in brain structure and faulty connections between nerve cells that prevent them from communicating correctly, says Bonnie Firestein, Ph.D., a Rutgers professor in the …

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Brain Network Found that is Vulnerable to Schizophrenia

Researchers have found a specific brain network that is the last to develop, but first to show signs of neurodegeneration, which is more vulnerable to disorders that emerge in young people, shedding light on conditions such as schizophrenia and the potential genetic and environmental factors that may occur early in life. A team led by …

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Do Involuntary Movements have a Hold on You?

We invite those 18 to 85 years old who are experiencing involuntary movements in their face or other parts of their body- and suffer from schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or mood disorder- to see if they qualify for the Kinect 3 Study. The purpose of this clinical research study is to evaluate the effectiveness, …

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Helping Patients with Schizophrenia and their Caregivers

A new family-focused culturally-informed therapy has been developed by researchers at the University of Miami (UM). This treatment is aimed at reducing patients’ symptoms and improving patient and caregiver emotional well-being, explained principle investigator Amy Weisman de Mamani, Associate Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at UM. “We have developed a …

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A Fifth of Schizophrenia Cases Attributed to T. Gondii Infection

Around 60 million people in the US may be infected with T. gondii, which comes from eating undercooked, contaminated meat, drinking contaminated water, and coming into contact with cat feces. According to a new research study, the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis – Toxoplasma gondii- may be attributed to around a fifth of schizophrenia cases in …

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