Discovery of gene mutation could lead to treatment for schizophrenics

By Staff Writer

According to MentalHealthAmerica.net, neurodevelopmental damage is more common among schizophrenic children than in adults who have the mental disorder. Before psychotic symptoms begin to emerge, adolescents with schizophrenia may experience delays in language and other motor functions.

Furthermore, the website reveals that children who have the disorder are more anxious and disruptive than adult-onset schizophrenics.

However, a new study by researchers from the University of California may provide hope for parents who have kids with this debilitating disease. The professors discovered a gene mutation linked to the brain disorder and a signaling pathway that may be treatable.

Researchers scanned for brain variations in 8,290 patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and 7,431 healthy controls. They found that duplications at the tip of chromosome 7q were detected in those with the disorder at a rate 14 times higher than those of healthy individuals. These mutations caused alterations in the gene known as Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Receptor 2, or VIPR2, which helps regulate activity of neurons in the brain.

The study's authors suggest that this VIPR2 gene mutation may provide insight on further treatment options for schizophrenics.