Study shows certain visual illusions do not deceive schizophrenics as much as non-schizophrenics (12/01/05)
A teenage brain on pot looks frighteningly similar to the brains of adolescents with schizophrenia, according to a new study..
Source: Healthy for life, Thursday, December 1, 2005
Read more in article at www2.ljworld.com

Study shows certain visual illusions do not deceive schizophrenics as much as non-schizophrenics (11/12/05)
A study performed recently found that certain visual illusions did not deceive schizophrenics as much as they did non-schizophrenic individuals. The study showed that most participants with chronic schizophrenia made more accurate judgments than the most accurate person in the control group. Dr Steven Dakin, one of the researchers behind the study, says "We often think of people with schizophrenia as not seeing the world the way it really is - for example, during hallucinations - but we have shown that sometimes their vision can be more accurate than people without schizophrenia.
Source: NewsTarget, Saturday, November 5, and Current Biology, 15(20):R822-4, 2005
Read more in article at www.newstarget.com
PubMed abstract

Abuse during childhood not likely the root of schizophrenia (10/30/05)
It has previously been suggested that upbringing, and in particular, any abuse that may have occurred when the patient was young, rather than heredity, is the crucial factor in the development of psychotic disease. This suggestion, however, contradicts the experience of most patients, their families and doctors. Research made on psychotic patients instead shows that psychoses are due hereditary and environmental factors, associated with other things than childhood abuse.
Source: Times Online, Friday, October 28, 2005
Read more in article at www.timesonline.co.uk

Schizophrenics see faces like jigsaw puzzles (10/20/05)
Australian researchers have found that schizophrenic patients and some of their unaffected relatives view faces like jigsaw puzzles - one piece at a time. Previus studies have shown that schizophrenia patients have slower eye movements and a vastly smaller visual scan path than other people, which may explain this phenomenon. Now the researchers are studying blood samples from patients with schizophrenia and their close relatives to search for genetic factors behind the problem.
Source: The Age, Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Read more in article at www.theage.com.au

Schizotypic behavior and creativity may go hand in hand (09/13/05)
New research on individuals with schizotypal personalities, people characterized by odd behavior and language but who are not psychotic or schizophrenic, shows that these people are more creative than both normal and fully schizophrenic individuals. The study also shows that the schiztypical individuals rely more heavily on the right sides of their brains during their creative thinking than the general population does.
Source: Innovations Report, Sunday, September 7, and Schizophrenia Research, Aug 23, [Epub ahead of print], 2005
Read more in article at www.innovations-report.com
PubMed abstract

Schizophrenia - the price for our speech? (09/03/05)
Could schizophrenia be the price for our speech? A professor the mental health charity Sane's Prince of Wales International Centre in Oxford suggests there is an "asymmetry gene" on our sex chromosomes, that gives humans the capacity for language and that changes in this gene determine if a person is going to develop schizophrenia.
Source: BBC News, Saturday, August 27, 2005
Read more in article at news.bbc.co.uk

Parallel between the use of high heels and schizophrenia (07/31/05)
A Swedish scientist says wearing high heels can "drive you crazy", and has drawn alarming parallels between heels and schizophrenia among women, since heels cause their wearers to tense their calves in a way that normal walking never does. This, in turn, the researcher says, could prevent proteins in the calf muscles from stimulating release of dopamine, a compound necessary for mental well-being.
Source: Citizen.co.za, Monday, July 25, 2005
Read more in article at www.citizen.co.za

Gene links the use of cannabis to psychotic disease (05/02/05)
It is known that cannabis use may induce psychotic disorder like schizophrenia. Now an international study shows that a certain gene may link the use of cannabis among teenagers to the increased risk of developing psychosis. The researchers found that those people with a particular version of this gene have almost 11 times the risk of having a diagnosis of psychosis if they used cannabis during adolescence.
Source: Scoop, Friday, April 29, 2005
Read more in article at www.scoop.co.nz

Electroshock therapy speeds improvement in schizophrenia patients (04/26/05)
A new research review shows that even if antipsychotic drugs are still the first choice for schizophrenia treatment, the data also show that electroconvulsive, or shock, therapy clearly works, and combining both treatments can accelerate benefits to some patients.
Source: Plebius Press, Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Read more in article at psychology.plebius.org

Light smoking relieves schizophrenic symptoms (03/08/05)
Researchers have suggested that the effects of nicotine could help relieve symptoms of schizophrenia in some people that suffer from the disease. Although, the researchers also found that people with high nicotine dependence were more likely to be readmitted to hospital with poor outcome.
Source: Only Punjab, Friday, March 4, 2005
Read more in article at onlypunjab.com

Stress may trigger both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (01/21/05)
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share many genetic and molecular characteristics, but there are also several differences in terms of the biochemstry, pharmacology and symtomology. Now researchers have found that both disorders may be triggered by stress.
Source: Sun-Sentinel, Saturday, January 16, 2005
Read more in article at www.sun-sentinel.com

Marjuiana use associated with psychosis (01/21/05)
British researchers warns that wide-spread acceptance and great availability of cannabis may result in an alarming increase in psychotic mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depressive disorders, especially among young people, which is the group that use the drug most.
Source: Halifax Live, Saturday, January 16, 2005
Read more in article at www.halifaxlive.com

Does the brain work like the Internet? (01/15/05)
Recently published research indicates that networks in the human brain work similarly to those in the World Wide Web and other apparently unrelated networks. Thus, techniques to optimize one kind of network could potentially be applied to another. The new findings may be used to help patients suffering from brain disorders like schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease or stroke.
Source: eWEEK.com, Friday, January 7, 2005
Read more in article at www.eweek.com

Summer births may be linked to some forms of schizophrenia (10/09/04)
According to a new study, patients with deficit schizophrenia, a subtype of schizophrenia characterized by negative symptoms, such as blunted speech and expression, lack of emotional response, and apathy, are more likely to have been born in the summer months.
Source: Health Central, Tuesday, October 5, Infozine, Thursday, October 7, and Society of Psychiatry and Archives of General Psychiatry, v. 61(10), p. 985-989, 2004
Read more in article at www.healthcentral.com
Read more in article at www.infozine.com
PubMed abstract

Canadian study shows children of parents with schizophrenia need more support (09/23/04)
A study at University of Alberta in Canada shows that most of the support programs available for family members of schizophrenics are targeted towards adults, i.e. the siblings, parents, or spouses of individuals with schizophrenia, while the children are overlooked.
Source: Science Blog, Wednesday, September 22, and Society of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, v. 39(7), p. 528-35, 2004
Read more in article at www.scienceblog.com
PubMed abstract

Chinese study suggests environmental factors may play role in schizophrenia (09/18/04)
More than four million people in China suffer from schizophrenia. The disease is also a major factor in the high number of suicide cases in the country. In addition, most Chinese schizophrenia cases are women, which is unusual. A recent study suggests social, economic or cultural factors may play a bigger role in the development of schizophrenia than previously thought.
Source: MSNBC and Yahoo! News, Thursday, September 16, 2004
Read more in article at www.msnbc.msn.com
Read more in article at story.news.yahoo.com

Cannabis-like substance in the brain may prevent psychotic symptoms (08/26/04)
The debate on the relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia continues. Heavy cannabis use has been linked to psychosis for quite some time. Now a study shows that a cannabis-like substance in the brain, anandamide, may dampen delusions or psychotic experiences rather than trigger them.
Source: Medical News Today, Thursday, August 26, 2004
Read more in article at www.medicalnewstoday.com

What's your sign? Soon the doctor's first line? (08/24/04)
Those who are sceptical towards astrology may have to re-evaluate their opinions. There is strong evidence that the time of birth can influence a person's risk of developing various diseases, and also behavior and personality. Studies have for instance shown that schizophrenia is more common among those born in late winter or early spring. Multiple sclerosis is associated with births in April, May and June. And epilepsy occurs more frequently in those with birthdays from December to March.
Source: Duluth News Tribune, Saturday, August 21, 2004
Read more in article at www.duluthsuperior.com

Dutch scientists say there is no proof cannabis induces schizophrenia (08/24/04)
Numerous studies have indicated cannabis trigger schizophrenia symptoms. Now Dutch researchers say that on the basis of currently available data there is no scientific proof this is true. The researcher's statement is a response to the Dutch government's use of previous arguments to close the country's infamous marijuana-selling "coffee shops".
Source: ONE NEWS, Friday, August 20, 2004
Read more in article at tvnz.co.nz

Nicotine may be good for people with schizophrenia (07/20/04)
It is known that smoking is more common among people with mental illnesses like schizophrenia than among the general population. New research now shows that the nicotine has a powerful effect on the brain activity of people suffering from a series of psychiatric and degenerative illnesses. Some tests have indicated that nicotine can slow down the progress of Parkinson’s Disease, and others have suggested that it could reduce the hallucinations that some schizophrenics experience.
Source: Scotland on Sunday, Sunday, July 18, 2004
Read more in article at scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com

Cannabis triggers schizophrenia-like symptoms (06/18/04)
A research study shows that the principal active ingredient in marijuana causes transient schizophrenia-like symptoms ranging from suspiciousness and delusions to impairments in memory and attention. The individuals in the study developed symptoms resembling those of schizophrenia, which lasted approximately one half hour to one hour.
Source: Medical News Today, Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Read more in article at www.medicalnewstoday.com

Anticholinergic drugs may influence the verbal memory in patients with schizophrenia (03/13/04)
Research shows that anticholinergic drugs may worsen the verbal memory deficits that can be observed in patients with schizophrenia.
Source: DocGuide, Tuesday, March 9, 2004
Read more in article at www.docguide.com

Vitamin D plays a central role in many physiological processes (03/06/04)
In accordance with previous indicatins, new research shows that vitamin D plays a central role in several of the body's many control systems. Several studies indicate that vitamin D malnutrition may be linked to many chronic diseases such as cancer, chronic pain and fatigue, autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, high blood pressure, a number of mental illnesses, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, tuberculosis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Source: TwinCities.com, Monday, March 1, 2004
Read more in article at www.twincities.com

Schizophrenics often use familiarity rather than consciousness to remember personal facts and events (01/27/04)
Schizophrenia is associated with impaired recognition memory (RM). To recall facts and events, schizophrenic patients typically use familiarity rather than consciousness. This may be due to a breakdown in strategic memory processes.
Source: Psychopathology, v. 36(6), p. 312-319, 2003, and Doctor's Guide, Monday, January 26, 2004
Read more in article at www.docguide.com
PubMed abstract

Fish fat may prevent against bipolar disorder (01/24/04)
A new study says people who eat more fish and seafood are at lower risk of developing bipolar disorder than others. It is the high content of omega-3 fatty acids in fish and seafood that protects against the disease.
Source: American Journal of Psychiatry, v. 160(12), p. 2222-7, 2003, and MedicalPost, Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Read more in article at www.medicalpost.com
PubMed abstract

Flu in pregnant women can cause mental problems in the child (01/17/04)
A study of more than 6,000 children found that the offspring of mothers who suffered influenza or other fevers, as opposed to the common cold, in the last six months of pregnancy were more likely to develop emotional and developmental problems. Previous studies have found similar links between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and influenza in pregnant mothers.
Source: Birth Defect Research, and www.health.telegraph.co.uk, Friday, January 2, 2004
Read more in article at www.telegraph.co.uk

Norway: Family intervention reduces risk of relapse (01/10/04)
A Norwegian study shows that family intervention for schizophrenia reduces stress levels in families, which in turn improves the outcome. In the study, long-term family intervention reduced the risk of psychotic relapse to about the half within the first two years. The method also shortens hospital stays, improve compliance with medication, patients' social functioning and relatives' well-being, and they seem to be cost-effective.
Source: Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. v. 123(18), p. 2571-4, 2003
PubMed abstract

Previous news items in the category "general"

Back to indexpage for research