Schizophrenia News

Owning a dog as a child lowers the risk of schizophrenia By Tim Sandle It seems that growing up with a dog in the household could have a benefit in later life, for early-exposure to dogs appears to lower the risk of developing schizophrenia. The same effect is, interestingly, not present with early-exposure to cats.

Virtual reality headsets help police with autistic people By Tim Sandle Technology firm Axon has developed new virtual reality headsets to be used by police forces in the U.S., designed to assist law enforcement officers with dealing with people with autism and schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia symptoms alleviated in new model By Tim Sandle Scientists have succeeded in alleviating schizophrenia symptoms using a mouse models. This involved restoring brain cell receptors, which was demonstrated to help to restore ‘normal behavior’.

Artificial neurons to study the genetic basis of mental illness By Tim Sandle To design new drugs to tackle psychiatric disorders requires an understanding of the biological and genetic causes of certain types of mental illnesses. To assist with this task, research have grown brain neurons.

Is there a biological explanation for schizophrenia? By Tim Sandle Unusual research suggests there may be a biological basis to certain forms of schizophrenia. Here researchers injected cells from schizophrenia patients into mice to observe the results.

Applying artificial intelligence to identify schizophrenia By Tim Sandle Identifying the neuroimaging-based patterns which may offer clues for schizophrenia is complex. This task could be made easier thanks to developments with artificial intelligence.

Board grants absolute freedom to man who beheaded bus passenger By Arthur Weinreb Winnipeg - A man who was found not criminally responsible (NCR) after he decapitated and cannibalized a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in 2008 has been granted his complete freedom. Not everyone is happy with the decision.

How memory loss is linked to schizophrenia By Tim Sandle Columbia University researchers have found that deficits in social memory (which is connected with schizophrenia) is associated with a decrease in certain brain cells.

Tobacco smoking may damage mental health By Tim Sandle London - Tobacco smoking may play a direct role in triggering the symptoms of schizophrenia, a new medical research paper suggests.

Man decapitates mother because she 'nagged' him By Sravanth Verma Oldsmar - Christian Jose Gomez, a 23-year-old man from Florida, suffering from schizophrenia, decapitated his mother on New Year's Eve because he got annoyed with her for nagging him.

Is schizophrenia linked to human parasites? By Tim Sandle There are many possible causes of schizophrenia, from genetic to environmental. One unusual factor could be, in some cases, parasites.

Schizophrenia's genetic basis challenged By Tim Sandle London - Recently the Molecular Genetics of Schizophrenia Consortium presented genetic evidence to suggest schizophrenia is not one but “a group of heritable disorders.” This has been challenged by other scientists.

Revealing the genetics of schizophrenia By Tim Sandle Three independent genetic studies suggests that schizophrenia is a group of heritable disorders associated with distinct clinical syndromes.

Schizophrenia research receives large cash donation By Tim Sandle The philanthropist Ted Stanley has announced he will donate $650 million to psychiatric research. The donation will be used to conduct studies aimed at findings the genetic causes of the mental health disorder.

Genetic causes of schizophrenia are 'considerable' By Tim Sandle The number of known genetic variants linked with schizophrenia has more than tripled, following a massive genome-wide association study.

New study shows no link between cannabis and psychosis By Ben Morris Calgary - A new study published by the mental health journal Schizophrenia Research, shows no link between marijuana and psychosis.

Protein clue for schizophrenia origin By Tim Sandle Copenhagen - As part of a hunt for the causes of schizophrenia, researchers have analyzed proteins in the brains of rats that have been given hallucinogenic drugs.

Brain region linked to schizophrenia By Tim Sandle Researchers have identified a region of the brain which is sensitive to small changes in memory. The results provide a clue as to why this area is often found to be abnormal in people suffering with schizophrenia.

Genetic complexities of schizophrenia revealed By Tim Sandle Two new studies provide insight into the genetics of schizophrenia and the results show once again how complex the condition is.

FBI probes police beating death of California homeless man By Yukio Strachan Los Angeles - The FBI on Monday announced it would investigate the acquittal of two cops in Fullerton, California who brutally beat a mentally ill homeless man to death in July 2011.

Is schizophrenia triggered by 'jumping genes'? By Tim Sandle A science group has found evidence that transposable elements, also known as jumping genes, may contribute to the development of schizophrenia.

Mice modeling schizophrenia show key brain network in overdrive Special By Tim Sandle Using mice genetically engineered to display symptoms of schizophrenia, scientists have uncovered a faulty brain mechanism that may underlie schizophrenia.

LAT: A national model for mental illness recovery Special By Kelly Jadon “Today recovery from mental illness is a well-documented reality.” — Pete Linnett, Founder and CEO of Life Adjustment Team

Schizophrenia medicine works on antibiotic-resistant bacteria By Tim Sandle Researchers have shown that the drug thioridazine, which was once used to treat schizophrenia, is also a powerful weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus.

Op-Ed: Double life sentence for killer, previously jailed indefinitely By Eileen Kersey London - Having killed her own mother six-years ago, Nicola Edgington attacked two women, killing one. How could a woman detained indefinitely for the manslaughter of her mother be walking free and allowed to kill again?

Poor sleep can contribute to risk of schizophrenia symptoms By Tim Sandle Disturbed sleep and insomnia can increase a person's risk of suffering schizophrenia symptoms, according to a new study.

Op-Ed: The Legacy of Thomas Szasz By Alexander Baron Thomas Szasz died September 8 this year. What is the legacy of the man who said there is no such thing as mental illness, and that psychiatry is a scam?

All in the eyes? New schizophrenia test By Tim Sandle Aberdeen - A new test has been developed for the assessment and detection of schizophrenia. What is remarkable about the test is that instead of being based on psychological profiling, it takes the form of a simple eye test.

Is the stress of city living making us mentally ill? Special By Igor I. Solar Studies have shown that people living in large cities have more mental disorders than those living in rural areas and that the cause is stress. This is a serious matter when more than half of the people in the world live in large cities.

Older dads increase risk of autism and mental illness in children By Darren Weir A landmark study has determined that the older a man is when he has a child, the greater the risk of passing on genetic mutations that can cause autism and schizophrenia.

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