Cell signalling key to early schizophrenia diagnosis
Researchers at Imperial College London, in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline have identified genes that control cell-to-cell signalling in the brain and say they work differently in schizophrenia patients in comparison with a control group.
Researchers at Imperial College London, in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline have identified genes that control cell-to-cell signalling in the brain and say they work differently in schizophrenia patients in comparison with a control group.
A diagnosis of schizophrenia is usually made based on behavioural changes when patients are in their teens or twenties, but this data opens the possibility of earlier diagnosis and help. Professor Jackie de Belleroche, of Imperial College, said: “The first steps to better treatment for schizophrenia is to really understand what is going on, to find out what genes are involved and what they are doing. Our new study has narrowed the search for potential targets for treatment. If they could be diagnosed earlier they could be treated more effectively and they could have a better quality of life”.
By Georgina Lavender
