Research provides insight into the development of sporadic schizophrenia
Patients who struggle with schizophrenia are often advised to buy Zyprexa, which can help keep their symptoms under control.
Patients who struggle with schizophrenia are often advised to buy Zyprexa, which can help keep their symptoms under control. According to Columbia University Medical Center researchers, the condition results from genetic errors in more than 50 percent of sporadic cases.
Lead author Maria Karayiorgou and her colleagues published their findings in the journal Nature Genetics. They examined the genomes of schizophrenic individuals and their families, and compared this information to that of healthy control groups.
Previous research revealed that protein-altering mutations played a role in as many as 2 percent of sporadic cases of schizophrenia. The scientists found 40 mutations that they characterized as de novo, or new, and suggested that there may be hundreds more responsible for the condition.
"Identification of these damaging de novo mutations has fundamentally transformed our understanding of the genetic basis of schizophrenia," said researcher Bin Xu. "The fact that the mutations are all from different genes is particularly fascinating."
The findings could help explain the persistence of the illness, in addition to its high global prevalence despite considerable environmental variations.
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