Risk for Schizophrenia May Start Within One Week After Birth: Study
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New study finds that functions of DISC – 1 gene during first week of brain development affect a person’s likelihood to develop schizophrenia later on. This suggests that interventions to prevent the disease may have to be given very early in life.
Past studies have proved conclusively that mutations in DISC – 1 (Disrupted in Schizophrenia) gene is a high risk factor for mental illnesses like schizophrenia, major clinical depression and bipolar disorder.
"We believe that DISC-1 is schizophrenia's Rosetta Stone gene and could hold the master key to help us unlock our understanding of the role played by all risk genes involved in the disease," said lead researcher Kevin Fox, professor at Cardiff University in Britain.
"We have identified a critical period during brain development that directs us to test whether other schizophrenia risk genes affecting different regions of the brain create their malfunction during their own critical period," Fox noted.
Past studies have proved conclusively that mutations in DISC – 1 (Disrupted in Schizophrenia) gene is a high risk factor for mental illnesses like schizophrenia, major clinical depression and bipolar disorder.
"We believe that DISC-1 is schizophrenia's Rosetta Stone gene and could hold the master key to help us unlock our understanding of the role played by all risk genes involved in the disease," said lead researcher Kevin Fox, professor at Cardiff University in Britain.
"We have identified a critical period during brain development that directs us to test whether other schizophrenia risk genes affecting different regions of the brain create their malfunction during their own critical period," Fox noted.
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