July 23, 2011

Saturday, July 23, 2011
In recent news, scientists have uncovered the molecular pathway involved in the onset of schizophrenia as well as a potential new treatment for the illness. By observing the effects of a cancer drug called MS-275 in mice, researchers discovered that symptoms of schizophrenia were successfully alleviated.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disintegration of thought processes and emotional responsiveness. It is most commonly manifested as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking. The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood. Schizophrenia is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction.

Additionally, the disease is said to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia have changes in both brain structure and chemistry. Studies using neuropsychological tests and brain imaging technologies such as fMRI and PET to examine functional differences in brain activity have shown that differences seem to most commonly occur in the frontal lobes, hippocampus and temporal lobes.

The greatest risk for developing schizophrenia is having a first-degree relative with the disease. Environmental factors associated with the development of schizophrenia include the living environment, drug use and prenatal stressors. Factors such as hypoxia and infection, or stress and malnutrition in the mother during fetal development, may result in a slight increase in the risk of schizophrenia later in life. A number of drugs have been associated with the development of schizophrenia including cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines.
“According to the World Health Organization, 90% of people with untreated schizophrenia are in developing countries. Current treatments for schizophrenia include both psychological treatments such as psychotherapy, counselling or cognitive behaviour therapy and/or medication. However, many of the antipsychotic drugs or major tranquillisers used to treat or manage the illness have very bad side-effects.”
Schizophrenia is said to affect about 24 million people worldwide.

Medications prescribed to treat schizophrenia include:
    • Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
    • Haloperidol (Haldol)
    • Perphenazine (generic only)
    • Fluphenazine (generic only)
    • clozapine (Clozaril)
    • Risperidone (Risperdal)
    • Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
    • Quetiapine (Seroquel)
    • Ziprasidone (Geodon)
    • Aripiprazole (Abilify)
    • Aliperidone (Invega)
Typical side effects include:
    • Drowsiness
    • Dizziness when changing positions
    • Blurred vision
    • Rapid heartbeat
    • Sensitivity to the sun
    • Skin rashes
    • Menstrual problems for women
    • Rigidity
    • Persistent muscle spasms
    • Tremors
    • Restlessness
Professor Peter Giese at King's College London discovered that individuals with schizophrenia had a reduction in the enzyme activator called p35. By manipulating the level of this enzyme in mice, the researchers were able to mirror typical cognitive impairments found in those with schizophrenia. Consequently, human post-mortem brains revealed that schizophrenic patients had approximately 50% less p35 in their brains.

That being said, the brain requires, among other things, the activation of a protein call Cdk5 to assist in proper development and this protein can only be activated in the presence of the p35 enzyme.

Therefore, by manipulating the level of p35 enzyme in mice, researchers noted that “the mice showed a reduction in synaptic proteins -- important in maintaining neural connections -- and displayed symptoms associated with schizophrenia, including learning impairments and inability to react to sensory stimuli.”

Subsequently, Professor Giese and his research team noticed that the reduction of the p35 enzyme altered molecules in the brain that are targeted by the cancer drug MS-275. To their delight, the molecular changes were corrected and the schizophrenic symptoms were alleviated by this drug.

With any luck, more research will prove that this drug is more beneficial than current medications with intolerable side-effects.

Cancer Drugs May Help Treatment of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Mental Health Medications

© www.mentalhealthblog.com

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1 comment

1 comments:

Jake@Beyondalabel.com said...

I'm diagnosed with Schizophrenia. This was interesting. I'm all for a medication with less side effects. I've had so many medication changes in my life now that, it's getting tiring!

I recently started a blog on my experiences. Mine's in development. It's a lot of work and I like yours very much.

That's usually how mental health medications are found... by accident sadly. Thanks for the update!

Best Wishes,
Jake

Popular Posts

Dentalget.com is dental equipment supplier, we provide high quality dental instruments, dental handpiece at a discount price. Free shipping worldwide.

Categories

9/11 AADD Abortion Academic Success Acetylcholine ADD Adderall Addiction ADHD Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Adultery Advertising Aggression Aging Agreeableness AIDS Air Pressure Alcohol Alcohol Abuse Alcohol Dependence Alcoholism alpha-CaM kinase II Altitude Alzheimer's Amphetamine Amygdala Amyloid Amyloid Deposition Anesthesia Anger Anterior Cingulate Cortex Anterograde Amnesia Anti-Depressants Anti-Psychotic Anticholinergic Anticonvulsant Antiepileptic Antioxidants Anxiety Anxious-Avoidant Anxious-Preoccupied Apolipoprotein E Army Aromatherapy Asperger Syndrome Assessment Associative Learning Asthma Attachment Theory Attention Attention Deficit Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Autism Autism Spectrum Disorder Autonomic Nervous System Average Sleep Requirements B-type Natriuretic Peptide Babies Balance Behavioral Problems Behaviour Behavioural Impairment Behavioural Therapy Benadryl Bipolar Disorder Blood Clot Blood Pressure Blue Light Blue Light Goggles Body Mass Index Bone Marrow Brain Brain Development Brain Imaging Brain Injury Brain Stem Brain Surgery Breast Cancer Buddhism bullying Bupropion Business C-reactive Protein Calories CAMH Canada Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Cancer Carbohydrates Cardiovascular Disease Care Facilities Caregiver cars Cdk5 Cell Phone Central Nervous System Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Cerebellum Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Cerebral Cortex Cerebrospinal Fluid Cerebrovascular Accident Cerebrovascular Insult Chat Rooms Chewing Childhood Disabilities Childhood Disintegrative Disorder Childhood Emotional Neglect Children Chitin Chitosan Cholesterol Choline Chromosome Chronic Pain Syndrome Chronic Stress Circadian Rhythm Cirrhosis Citalopram Classical Conditioning Climate Change Clot-Busting Drug Co-morbidity Cocaine Cognition Cognitive Development Cognitive Impairment Colloquially Brain Attack Coma Communication Device Communication Technology Concentration Concerta Concussion Conflict Confusion Conscientiousness Control Group Coordination Correlation Cortisol Counselling Couples CPAP Crack CRASH-2 CRASH-3 Creativity Criminal Code Cyberbullying Cyberpsychology Cyklokapron Daytrana Death Death Toll Decision-Making Declarative Memory Deep Brain Stimulation Delusion Dementia Dentures Depression Destrostat Deviant Behaviour Dexedrine Dextromethorphan Diabetes Diet Dietary Supplements Diphenhydramine Disability discrimination Dismissive-Avoidant Disorganized Attachment Disorganized Speech Disorientation Dizziness Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Double-Blind Dream Drinking Drowsiness Drug Abuse Drug Dependence Drug Use Drugs DSM DSM-5 Dual Diagnosis Early Onset Alzheimer's Economic Crisis Ecstasy Effexor Ego Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Elderly Electrical Stimulation Electroconvulsive Therapy Electrodes Email Embitterment Embolic Emotion Emotional Neglect Emotional Problems Emotional Well-Being Employee Enrivonment Enzyme Epilepsy Estrogen Ethics Evolution Experimental Group Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (ERK) Extroversion Facebook Facebook Fan Page Facebook Friends Family Family Therapy Fast Food Father Father Absenteeism Fatherhood FDA Fear Fearful-Avoidant FeelingBetterNow Fetus Fibrin Fish Oil fluoxetine fMRI Focalin Focus Food Fraud Friday Gamma Secretase Genetic Disorders Genetics Ginkgo Biloba Glucose Glutamate Receptor God Gout Guest Blogger Hair Pulling Haiti Hallucination Hallucinogenic Halo Effect Harm-Reduction Headache Healthy Eating Hearing Heart Attack Heart Disease Hematopoietic Stem Cells Hepatitis Hepatitis C Herbal Supplements Hereditary Angioedema Heredity Heroin High Blood Pressure Hippocampus Hockey Homelessness Hormone Housing Hox Genes Hoxb8 Cells Human Rights Hydromorphone Hyper-social Networker Hyperactivity Hypothalamus Illness Impulse Control Impulsivity Inattentiveness Infant Infidelity Inflammation Insecure Attachment Insomnia Instant Messaging Insulin Intellectual Development Intellectual Disability Internet Intracranial Bleeding Introversion Introvert Ischemic Stroke KASPAR Ketamine Ketogenic Kleptomania Laptop Latent Inhibition Learning Learning Disability Leukotrienes Limbic System Lithium Liver Locked-In Syndrome Long Term Memory Long-Term Potentiation Longevity Lupus Lysteda Maestro Rechargeable System Major Depression Mania MAOI Marriage MDMA Medication Meditation Melatonin Memory Memory Loss Memory Task Men Mental Health Mental Health Forum Mental Heath Mental Illness Metadate Metyrapone Mice Microglia Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Military Mind-Body Mindless Eating Mitochondria MOHLTC Mood Disorder Morphine Mortality Rates MRI MS-275 Multiple Sclerosis Muscle Weakness music therapy Narcissism Natasha Richardson National Sleep Foundation Natural Disaster Nature/Nurture Nausea Necrosis Neglect Nerve Neuro-imaging Neurobiology Neurodegeneration Neurodegenrative Diseases Neurodevelopment Disorders Neurogenesis Neurological Disease Neuromarketing Neuron Neuropathy Neuroticism Neurotransmitter News Nintendo Wii Non-REM Sleep Nose Nurse Ratched Nutrition Obesity Obessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorder (OCD) Offspring Olfactory Gland OM3 Emotional Balance Omega 3 Ontario Ontario Review Board Ontario Works Opioid Oral Health Organic Ottawa Over-activity Over-Medication Ovulation Oxidative Cell Oxygen Oxytocin p35 Pacemaker Pain Pain Killer Pain Management Pancreatic Polypeptide Pancreatitis Paralysis Paranoia Paraskevidekatriaphobia Parenthood Parents Parkinson's Paroxetine Paxil PDD-NOS perception Perfume Peripheral Nervous System Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARγ) Pathway personality traits Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) PET Scan Pharmacology Phobias Physical Health Physiological Plasmin Plasminogen Plasticity Platelet-Activating Factor Politics Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) Potassium Ion Channel Poverty Pregnancy Pressure Procedural Memory Promiscuity Prozac PsychBoard.com Psychiatric Ward Psychological Psychological Inventories Psychologist Psychology Psychology Forum Psychology of Eating Psychosis PTED PTSD Public Health Pyromania Quadriplegic Rehab Relationships Reliability Religion REM Research Retigabine Retrograde Amnesia Rett Syndrome Risperdal Ritalin road rage Robot Robotics Rodent Research Rosiglitazone Samsung Satiety Scales Schizophrenia School Screening Secure Attachment Sedatives Seizure Self-Affirmation Intervention Self-Confidence Self-Esteem Self-Integrity Self-Worth Semantic Memory Senior Seroquel Serotonin Serzone Sex Sex Therapy Sexual Orientation Sexual Satisfaction Shock Therapy Sideline Concussion Assessment Test (SCAT2) Sleep Sleep Apnea Sleep Disorders Sleep Quality Sleep Stages Smartphone Smoking Snacking Sniffing Technology Social Assistance Social Deficits Social Isolation Social Media Social Network Social Rejection Social Skills Social Worker Socialization Societal Change Soft Palate Soldier Somatic Nervous System Spatial Memory Special K Speech Spinal Cord Spinal Cord Injury Spinal Tap Sports Injury SSRI Statin Stem Cell Stimulant Strattera Stress Stress Hormone Stroke Substance Abuse Sugar Suicide Superstition Support Survey Suspicious Tablet Talk Therapy Tamoxifen Tanorexia Tax Payer Technology Television Telomere Temperature Testosterone Texting Therapy Thorazine Threshold Thrombosis Thrombotic Tinnitus Tissue Plasminogen Activator Topographical Disorientation Tranexamic Acid Trauma Treatment Tremors Trial Tribunal Trichotillomania Type-2 Diabetes Vagus Nerve Validity Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Video Games Virtual Reality Vision Visual Attention Vitamin B Vitamins Vitiligo Voice Vyvanse Walnuts Weight Loss Welfare Wellbutrin Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome Wet Brain White Blood Cells Women Work World Health Organization Zileuton Zyban Zyprexa µ-opiate receptors (MOR)