"Stopping Schizophrenia Before It Starts"

Adult "schizophrenic" rats (middle) have larger lateral ventricles than those of normal rats (left), but become smaller after preventive treatment with clozapine in adolescence (right). (Credit: Image courtesy of Tel Aviv University)

Schizophrenia is believed to be triggered by an infect but takes many years for the systems to be develop according to Prof. Ina Weiner of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychology. The symptoms occur in early adulthood. "Pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia remain unsatisfactory, so clinicians and researchers like myself have started to dig in another direction," says Prof. Weiner. "The big question asked in recent years is if schizophrenia can be prevented."

Studies were done to look for cues that the disorder would occur before the actual disorder occur. Prof Weiner and her collaagues Dr. Yael Piontkewiz and Dr. Yaniv Assaf. They used neuro-imaging to see if they would be early to track any early-onset in the brain of laboratory animals. Experiments included giving pregnant rats a viral mimic that is known to induce the schizophrenia-like behavioral disorder in the offspring. Thus stimulating maternal infection in pregnancy which is a well known risk factor for schizophrenia. This proved that the rats where normal at birth and during the adolescence stage but as previous studies has shown during early adulthood the symptoms occurred.

While looking at the brain scans and behaviors exhibited by the rats the results where "abnormally developing lateral ventricles and the hippocampus in the rats with the schizophrenia." After the results that they rats where at high risk for the condition they where given treatment. The treatment was using risperidone and colozapine which as two drugs commonly known to be used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Brain scans showed that the abnormal developing of the lateral ventricles and hippocampus retained a healthy size. By using the drugs during adolescence several months before full maturity is reached this can arrest the development of deterioration of the brain. Normally clinics use the drugs to prevent an onset of schizophrenia.

Currently only anti-psychotics are prescribed when a patient exhibits the symptoms are present. "Prof. Weiner believes that an effective non-invasive prediction method (looking at the developmental trajectory of specific changes in the brain), coupled with a low dose drug taken during adolescence, could stave off schizophrenia in those most at risk."

Further research is underway to see at what point the changers occur in the brain and how early they can be detected.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128142145.htm