Schizophrenia Daily News Blog

Prenatal Infection Increases Risk of Schizophrenia

Current research suggests that schizophrenia results from abnormal development of the brain. Studies have shown that exposure of pregnant women to environmental challenges, such as psychosocial stressors, obstetric complications, and infection, increase the risk that their children will develop schizophrenia or certain other disorders of the brain at adulthood. Influenza, measles, polio, herpes simplex type 2, diphtheria, and pneumonia, are all risk factors but it is not know if these diseases act directly on the fetal brain or if the developmental abnormalities are a secondary result of the maternal immune response to infection. This experiment, from the journal Molecular Psychiatry, Read More...

Collection of Articles about Glycine

I present these articles as a collection. There are many articles written exploring the use of glycine, or similar associated compounds, for the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. These are just a few of them. We still have much to learn about the mechanism of glycine and how it helps treat negative symptoms, but it remains a very promising molecule and one worthy of such exploration! 1. Effect of Clozapine and Adjunctive High-Dose Glycine in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Steven G. Potkin, M.D., Yi Jin, M.D., Blynn G. Bunney, Ph.D., Jerome Costa, M.D., and Bala Gulasekaram, M.D. Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Read More...

Pituitary Volume Shows Psychosis Risk

Pituitary volume has an effect on one's risk of developing psychosis. For those in the beginning stages of a psychotic disorder, they appear to have a higher pituitary volume. The researchers looked at the pituitary volume of 94 individuals that were considered to have an "ultra-high risk" (UHR) of developing psychosis. They also used 49 controls who were deemed mentally healthy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to look at the volume. This was done at baseline (the beginning of the study) and followed up for at least a year. "The results showed that, among the UHR patients, a larger Read More...

Conduct Disorder Link to Schizophrenia Violence

Schizophrenia can sometimes lead a person to become more aggressive or violent, although not in all cases. Researchers believe that conduct disorder is a comorbid condition that those with schizophrenia sometimes have. They found that in their study, men with schizophrenia commonly develop conduct disorder before they turn 15. They are still unsure of whether conduct disorder is a seperate and distinct disorder from schizophrenia or if instead it is something that often precedes the symptoms and development of schizophrenia. "To investigate, Sheilagh Hodgins (King's College London, UK) and colleagues examined the consequences of CD in 248 men with schizophrenia Read More...

Early Schizophrenia Treatment - Science Meeting

International Prodromal (Early Phase of Schizophrenia) Research Network Meeting Summary The International Prodromal Research Network (IPRN) is a collection of leading schizophrenia researchers from Europe, United States and Australia. Last week the group had a two-day meeting in Napa, California. The meeting is sponsored by the Staglin Foundation and by an educational grant from Janssen Research Foundation. Organizers Tyrone Cannon, Ph.D from UCLA and Barbara Cornblatt, Ph.D, from Hillside Hospital and Albert Einsten College of Medicine, planned 4 sessions of debate and new data presentations. Over the course of two days, the group met to discuss topics including: 1. Treatment Read More...

ACP-104 Future Schizophrenia Drug?

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals is announcing the molecular properties of ACP-104 that would make it an effective antipsychotic. They are currently developing this drug so it can be used to treat schizophrenia in the future. The following information looks like it comes (either directly, or indirectly) from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals marketing department - so, as with any marketing material from any company, we think you should be skeptical of the information. It looks interesting, but all company marketing departments tend to highlight the positive points of their products, while avoiding mention of any possible negative aspects, and pharmaceutical companies are no different in Read More...

Drs. Torrey & Insel on CATIE Study

A very good summary and commentary by Dr. Torrey and Dr. Insel on the new CATIE study results. Between the two Drs. you get a very good and balanced view of the issues and considerations with regards to medications - we encourage all family members to listen. TAC President Dr. E. Fuller Torrey will be on the Diane Rehm Show (Washington, DC) (88.5 FM) Thursday, Sept 22, from 10-11, discussing the results of the CATIE trials comparing antipsychotic medications. NIMH director Thomas Insel will also be interviewed. To Listen you need Real Audio player (free download here) - and then Read More...

CATIE News & Commentary

The results from the CATIE study that were made public the other day (see CATIE STUDY RESULTS) are provoking a great deal of discussion and analysis in the world of people impacted by schizophrenia - as it well should. The sad, but simple fact is that despite all the money and research a lot less has been accomplished during the past 20 years than we thought, in terms of developing new and better therapies for people with schizophrenia. We can and must do better. We hope this will provide an incentive for biotech and pharma companies to increase their investment Read More...

Amantadine Curbs Antipsychotic Weight Gain?

Amantadine (Symmetrel) is normally used to treat Parkinson's disease, but a study has found that taking it while taking olanzapine (Zyprexa) may stabilize the weight gain associated with this drug. "They therefore investigated the effect that amantadine, a dopamine agonist, had on the weight of 21 patients with schizophrenia. It has been postulated that the drug can stabilize weight due to its ability to decrease prolactin and thereby influence gonadal and adrenal steroids. The researchers randomly assigned the 21 adults, who had all gained at least 5 lb following 1 to 44 months of treatment with olanzapine, to take amantadine Read More...

CATIE Results - Perphenazine almost as good as newer drugs

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that "Old Schizophrenia Drug Works As Well as Newer Treatments" In the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) results an older, less expensive antipsychotic drug known as Perphenazine (Trilafon) worked almost as well as four newer drugs, according to the results. "The study has vital public health implications because it provides doctors and patients with much-needed information comparing medication treatment options," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. "It is the largest, longest, and most comprehensive independent trial ever done to examine existing therapies for this disease." Schizophrenia, affects approximately 3.2 million Read More...

Fetal Alcohol Exposure Changes Dopamine System

There are several factors that increase one's risk of developing schizophrenia later on in life. Several of these things have to do with one's environment or genetic background, others implicate issues during pregnancy that may increase one's risk. Drinking alcohol while pregnant may alter the child's dopamine system and could potentially increase his/her risk of developing schizophrenia. In a study of adult monkeys who were exposed to moderate amounts of alcohol in utero, scientists have found that prenatal exposure to alcohol - even in small doses - has pronounced effects on the development and function later in life of the Read More...

Drinking Too Much Water Kills Man

DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER KILLS MAN SUFFERING FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA In Liverpool, England it was reported this week that a 32-year-old man died after drinking too much water, an inquest heard yesterday. Pathologist Donald Wayte said the water had washed the essential salts from his body causing him to fall into a coma. Last night Matthew's family called for the dangers of drinking too much water to be highlighted, especially to those who are taking medicines. His mother, Sandra, said her son was being treated for schizophrenia and stated medical staff had not warned Matthew of the potential side effects. She Read More...

CATIE study results this Thursday

Its been reported that this coming Thursday (September 22nd) will see the publishing of the CATIE trial results - the biggest ever government study comparing the safety and efficacy of four big-selling schizophrenia treatments. It is expected to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine, industry sources say. Some clear answers as to how the drugs differ from each other are expected from the study, called the Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. It will compare four of the top-selling schizophrenia drugs and one older medicine in 1,600 patients who Read More...

Nicotine and Schizophrenia

There is a new study out that links improved cognitive functioning with nasal nicotine spray use by people who have schizophrenia. Smoking is not recommended for anyone, however, because it causes cancer. The study reports: "Schizophrenics have among the highest rates of cigarette smoking. Some studies indicate that cigarette smoking or nicotine may ameliorate some of the cognitive or theoretically related neurophysiological deficits seen in schizophrenic patients. This study investigated the effects of nicotine nasal spray on measures of attention, verbal memory, and visual-spatial memory in schizophrenic patients who were chronic smokers, using a double-blind placebo-controlled pre-post experimental design. Compared Read More...

NAMI Calls for FEMA to Not Ignore Mental Illness

After Hurricane Katrina many of those with a mental illness, such as schizophrenia, were left without ways to access their medication or therapy. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has recently called for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to also help those suffering from mental illness. ========================= ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 14 The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to broaden its Crisis Counseling Program to include treatment and services for people with serious mental illnesses. "It is unconscionable -- literally and symbolically -- that the Crisis Counseling Program, by Read More...

Discerning Transient Psychotic Disorder From Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia can often be confused with other disorders such as bipolar disorder or with an acute and transient psychotic disorder. One of the differences between schizophrenia and transient psychotic disorder that was found in a recent study was a lack of deterioration in general functioning for those only having a transient psychotic disorder. Researchers in Germany observed over a 7 to 12 year period that those experiencing an acute and transient psychotic disorder were more likely to function well when off medication than those suffering from schizophrenia. Researchers looked at 39 people with acute or transient psychotic disorder and 38 Read More...

Microtubules & Development of Mental Disorders

Neuroscientists at the University at Buffalo have shown in two recently published papers that destabilization of structures called microtubules, intracellular highways that transport receptors to their working sites in the brain, likely underlie many mental disorders and could be promising targets for intervention. In their most recent article, published in the Aug. 19 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, they report that destabilization of microtubules interferes with the action of the NMDA receptor, a target of the neurotransmitter glutamate, which plays a critical role in learning and memory. "You can think of NMDAR as the cargo moving along a Read More...

Vitamin C helps with Schizophrenia?

A new study suggests that Vitamin C may help people who have schizophrenia and are on anti-psychotic medications. While the study was positive, the study was also short (only 8 weeks long), with a small sample size (only 20 people in the Vitamin C group - so it may not be statistically significant), and it was done in India (some Universities in India may not have the same standards of research that are in top western research facilities). Overall - it looks interesting, but more studies need to be done before conclusions can be drawn. In the mean time - Read More...

Fracture Risk Higher with Some Antipsychotics?

A new study suggests that people taking Risperidone may have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than olanzapine, however this is early information from only one study, so the information needs to be validated with studies from other universities. In this study that has been recently announced "They therefore compared bone mineral density in female premenopausal patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia who were receiving either risperidone (n=12) or olanzapine (n=14). Results showed that patients taking risperidone had higher serum prolactin levels than olanzapine-treated individuals, at 123 ng/ml versus 25.9 ng/ml" (PsychiatryMatters.MD). This study was done on females with schizophrenia, probably because Read More...

CAPON: A Schizophrenia Gene?

Schizophrenia and bipolar disease are complex diseases, with multiple genes and environmental factors thought to be responsible for their manifestation. Many reports have implicated changes in specific genes as the key predisposting elements for schizophrenia. One subject of great interest is on Chromosome 1 that been associated with the disease in different studies and populations. In this new study Linda Brzustowicz and colleagues had previously described association of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within a gene called CAPON (for carboxyl-terminal PDZ ligand of neuronal nitric oxide synthase) with schizophrenia in a set of Canadian families. A separate study in a Read More...

Schizophrenia Brain Signaling Approaches Reconciled

Yale Study Reconciles Dopamine and Glutamate Models Of Schizophrenia New Haven, Conn.-Yale School of Medicine researchers published a report this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry that highlights the interplay of two brain signaling systems, glutamate and dopamine, in psychosis and cognitive function. The study helps resolve a long-standing research debate between the "dopamine hypothesis" and the "glutamate hypothesis" or "PCP Model," said John Krystal, M.D., professor, deputy chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry, and lead author of the study. "Both systems appear to be involved," he said. The first theory suggests that dopamine neurons are hyperactive Read More...

University Education Linked to Non-Developmental Schizophrenia

A new research study suggests that having a university education has been linked to having less neurodevelopmental impairment in patients with schizophrenia. The case notes of 46 schizophrenia patients that were university educated (UE), and 48 non-university educated (NUE) schizophrenia patients was examined for this study. "Univariate analyses revealed that of the four principal components that emerged - mania, biological depression, schizophrenic symptoms, and a reactive depression - UE patients scored significantly higher than NUE patients on the reactive depression and significantly lower on the schizophrenic symptoms" (PsychiatryMatters.MD). The higher levels of depression may be due to the fact that Read More...

Glycine and Homocysteine Levels in Schizophrenia

Levels of glycine are lower and levels of homocysteine are higher in those who have schizophrenia which may contribute to certain aspects of the illness. Glycine is an amino acid as well as a neurotransmitter affecting the central nervous system. Homocysteine is an amino acid affecting numerous aspects of our health. Researchers in Jerusalem, Israel looked at glycine and homocysteine levels in 94 individuals with schizophrenia, as well as 34 mentally healthy controls. They were examining how these levels affected "symptom profile and medication status." "Plasma glycine levels were significantly lower in the patients with schizophrenia than in controls, with Read More...

Testimony Urges Congress to Stop Medicaid Cuts

Robert Sheehan, chief executive of a community mental health center in Michigan and a member of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 8, 2005. He made a powerful appeal to Congress to stop proposed cuts to Medicaid funding for services which help people with serious mental illnesses recover and live full lives in their communities. The testimony was delivered in the context of proposed Medicaid cuts to the tune of $10 billion that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Finance are expected to Read More...

This Weekend: Staglins' 11th Music & Wine NAPA festival to battle schizophrenia

Music and Wine to Support Schizophrenia Research For everyone in the San Francisco Bay Area - this is a great opportunity to participate in some fun and educational activities up in the Napa Valley, this Saturday, September 10th (Details, at link at bottom of page): Jazz singer Roberta Flack headlines Saturday's 11th annual Music Festival for Mental Health at Staglin Family Vineyard in Rutherford. Flack is bringing 11 other musicians to the event, which in its first decade has raised more than $26 million for mental health charities and research. During an afternoon ceremony, Dr. Linda Brzustowicz of Rutgers University Read More...

More Support Needed For GP's Diagnosing

Researchers in Switzerland decided to study the issues that general practitioners face when they have a patient with schizophrenia or who is suspected of having schizophrenia. The issues looked at were diagnostic knowledge, up-to-date treatment practices, amount of patients, and the treatment given. A survey was issued to general practitioners in Switzerland and was answered by 1,089 (18%) of those given a survey. Doctors reported seeing an average of 3.2 clients with schizophrenia, and 1.6 who they thought might be in the early phase of schizophrenia. "The majority (66%) of physicians expressed satisfaction concerning collaboration with specialists, with 67% expressing Read More...

Mentally Ill Suffer amid Katrina-forced Evacuations

NPR has a special report this morning on how the Mentally Ill are Suffering amid Katrina-forced Evacuations. Among the last evacuees arriving at the triage in Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are those with mental illnesses. They were slow to leave because they did not understand the danger, or their illness made them uncooperative. Many patients are without medication and their conditions (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.) have deteriorated. To listen to the full story - go to this page: Mentally Ill Suffer amid Katrina-forced Evacuations Read More...

Sale of Mellaril/Thioridazine To Stop in Canada

Sales of anti-psychotic drug thioridazine to be stopped Health Canada advises that manufacturer sales of thioridazine, an anti-psychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, will be stopped by September 30, 2005. Thioridazine will continue to be dispensed by pharmacies for a transition period after that date to allow patients sufficient time to consult their health care providers and switch to an alternate medication. Health Canada has taken this action because manufacturers have failed to provide convincing safety information, requested by the Department, that demonstrates that the drug is safe to use. Questions of safety arose from ongoing concerns about use of Read More...

Upcoming Classes and Seminars

In the Fall of every year there are a new batch of classes related to schizophrenia and mental illness - offered around the country (US, Canada, etc.). We encourage you to find one that is close to you and sign up to learn more. Top among the classes offered are the NAMI Family to Family courses - that every family member should try to take if they can. Contact your local NAMI office (see our list of support groups) - and in Canada I understand that they have also started offering the Family to Family class via the Schizophrenia Society Read More...

Ethnicity Affects Antipsychotic Response

Researchers have found that ethnicity may have an affect on one's response to antipsychotics. Those with black or mixed ethnicity in South Africa had a better response to antipsychotic medication than those of white descent in South Africa. "Robin Emsley (University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa) and colleagues used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to assess the treatment response of 192 South African patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder. These patients were divided into three groups according to ethnic origin: 50 black South Africans, 63 mixed descent South Africans, and 79 white South Africans" (PsychiatryMatters.MD). The Read More...

Tom Cruise Officially Criticized, Hubbard had Schizophrenia

The following press release from the National Coalition of Human Rights Activists is of interest not only because it correctly points out the dangerous misinformation that the actor was propogating recently, but also because it notes that the founder of Scientology (L. Ron Hubbard) was diagnosed with schizophrenia before he wrote all his science fiction and started the group called "Scientology". If this is true then, given the regularity of religious delusions in people who have schizophrenia, many of the group's positions are not at all surprising. ======================== During a press conference on the steps of the New Mexico government Read More...

Switching to Atypicals Reduces Anti-Parkinsonian Drug Use

A new study suggests that switching from typical antipsychotics to atypicals may reduce the need for anti-parkinsonian drugs. The results were found to differ depending on which atypical agent was used. The researchers mentioned that the reduction in the need of such medication was substantial in this study which looked just at community practices, but it was not as much of a difference as has been seen in past randomized controlled trials. "Between 1994 and 1998, switching from typical to atypical antipsychotics was associated with a sudden 9.2% drop in the prescribing of anti-parkinsonian drugs and a decreasing trend of Read More...

Creativity linked to Schizotypy

A quirky or socially awkward approach to life might be the key to becoming a great artist, composer or inventor. New research in individuals with schizotypal personalities-people characterized by odd behavior and language but who are not psychotic or schizophrenic-offers the first neurological evidence that these individuals are more creative than normal or fully schizophrenic people, and rely more heavily on the right sides of their brains than the general population to access their creativity. The work by Vanderbilt psychologists Brad Folley and Sohee Park was published online Aug. 26 by the journal Schizophrenia Research. Psychologists believe famous creative luminaries, Read More...

Benefits of Depot Antipsychotics

A depot antipsychotic is essentially an injectable antipsychotic medication that is released into the body slowly over an extended period of time. Comparisons with other developed nations suggests that depot injections are significantly underutilized in the US, as they are prescribed to only 5% of the population requiring antipsychotics. In Canada they are prescribed at a rate of 15-20%, and in Europe they are prescribed to 35-50% of patients with psychotic disorders. The key benefit of depot injections is that they help prevent people from forgetting to take their medications - missed medication is one of the leading causes of Read More...

No Breast Cancer Increase in Women w/ Schizophrenia

Some studies in the past have found that women with schizophrenia have higher rates of breast cancer. But these results were questioned by a Danish study that looked at the confounding factors that may have caused this result. One of the main variables that should have been controlled for in past studies was birth rates. Having children before the age of 30 has been found to reduce one's chance of developing breast cancer. Breast cancer risk was examined in 1,336,313 Danish women of which 7,541 were hospitalized for schizophrenia. "The researchers found that, after adjusting for age, period, age at Read More...

Integrated Treatment Benefits 1st Episode Psychotic Patients

Danish researchers found that integrated treatment lessens psychotic and negative symptoms in those experiencing their first episode of psychosis. The integrated treatment consisted of "aggressive community therapy", social skills training, and psychoeducation for family members. The researchers compared integrated treatment to standard treatment for schizophrenia. The participants were 547 individuals having their first-episode of schizophrenia. Integrated treatment was 2 years long, and standard treatment involved the option of using a community mental health center. "After 1 year, the 227 patients who were assigned to receive integrated treatment showed a significant reduction in psychotic symptoms over that seen with standard treatment. Read More...

Successful Weight Control for Antipsychotic-Treated

Taking antipsychotics can sometimes lead to weight-gain, which is something that most people would like to avoid. A behavioral weight control program was set up to examine whether it would be effective in helping antipsychotic-treated patients to lose weight that they had gained due to antipsychotics. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center put the study together, which consisted of going on the Stoplight Diet for 12 weeks. The participants were 35 psychiatric outpatients, with a body mass index of 30 or higher. The Stoplight Diet organizes foods into 3 categories, red, yellow, and green. Green foods have no limit on Read More...

Call to Help Mentally ill in New Orleans

This just in from Carla Jacobs, former NAMI Board member: I normally do not ask my friends for donations. But the situation for people with psychiatric disorders and their families in the hurricane destroyed states is horrendous. People with mental illness who have been displaced or were homeless initially are even less able to gain access to the relief efforts that are occurring. As many of you know, I am a past board member for NAMI-national (www.nami.org). NAMI is the nation's largest advocacy organization for people with mental illness and their families. We are grassroots people helping on the grassroots Read More...

Cognitive Dysfunction Happens Early

One of the symptoms of schizophrenia is impaired cognition. Researchers decided to examine when these effects occured and what their course was over time in psychosis. The participants in the study were 247 individuals who were experiencing their first-episode of psychosis. The effects on cognitive dysfunction were followed up over a period of 3 years. When compared to the controls at the beginning of the study it was apparent that they were doing much better on the cognitive tests than those experiencing psychosis. The cognitive tests looked at "measures of letter fluency, verbal memory, verbal learning, visual memory, and attention." Read More...

Education Needed On Type II Diabetes

Newswise - People with serious mental illness have higher rates of type 2 diabetes than the general population, yet their knowledge of diabetes was generally poor and significantly lower than people without mental illness, according to a new study. This finding "suggests that more education about type 2 diabetes is needed for those suffering from serious mental illnesses," according to Faith Dickerson, lead author of the study in the latest issue of the journal Psychosomatics. The research team - from the Sheppard Pratt Health System and the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore - looked at 201 people Read More...

Social Adversity during Childhood increases Schizophrenia Risk

A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that "social adversity" during childhood increases risk of later developing schizophrenia as an adult. The study reports that: There is conflicting evidence concerning the association of social childhood factors and subsequent psychosis. Previous studies have had inadequate designs. The aim of the present study was to describe a broad range of social factors during childhood and the risk of developing psychosis later in life in a national cohort. The study included looking at all children born in Sweden in 1963–1983—2.1 million persons—in family households participating in the national census Read More...

Exercise Boosts Brain Function

Exercise boosts Cognitive Function The Wall Street Journal reported this week on how exercise can boost cognitive performance and prevent long term mental decline. Given the problems in these areas that are common with schizophrenia, this is a good reason to get out and enjoy some daily exercise - even if its just a good walk. The report suggested: "the science behind exercise increasingly shows that it provides a short-term boost to the ability to process data, among other functions. Acute bouts of exercise have also been found to reduce depression and anxiety, illnesses that can dampen mental functioning. Over Read More...

Brother's Story in New Film

New Film out of Canada on Brother's Schizophrenia In Montreal, Canada (at the Montreal World Film Festival) a new film is being released about one man's brother's experience with schizophrenia. The film is called "The Beggars Description". See below for a full description of the film, and links to more information. The film is available in North America via the National Film Board (click here for information). The Montreal Gazette reported, in a story titled "Immortalizing a brother's beautiful mind" "Even in a city top-heavy with eccentric characters, Philip Tetrault stands out. He is a poet, painter and master of Read More...

Family Therapy helps in dealing with Schizophrenia

This story is out of England: "Rob Strawford's parents prayed it was just drugs that were triggering their teenage son's odd behaviour. Perhaps, they thought, all teenagers went through periods of elation followed by depression. Perhaps almost all had bouts of spending just one hour of the day out of their bedroom. To believe Rob, from Weoley Castle in Birmingham, had a mental illness such as schizophrenia was too painful. But when their son, then in his early twenties, complained that KGB spies were after him, they had to admit that this was no prolonged adolescence. Rob, a former pupil Read More...

Low Folic Acid during Pregnancy Ups Schiz. Risk?

A new research paper out of Harvard University investigated the roll the folic acid deficiencies during pregnancy might play in a child's risk of developing schizophrenia later. The study suggests that evidence from many different lines of research supports the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a disorder of brain development with causal factors implicated as early as the second trimester of pregnancy. The researchers suggest that low maternal folate (Folic Acid), acting to increase homocysteine levels, may provide a functional link between many of the identified prenatal schizophrenia risk factors and the hypothesized mechanisms whereby neurodevelopmental errors or malformation develop to Read More...