New Study Identifies 'Less Efficient Placenta' as Possible Contributor to Developing Schizophrenia Later in Life
Issues with the placenta could adversely affect the development of the fetus' brain
In trying to understand the mysteries still surrounding schizophrenia, scientists may have just had a significant breakthrough.
Per a recent report from New Scientist, Dr. Daniel R. Weinberger and his team from the Lieber Institute of Brain Development in Maryland sought to find out if genetics played a role in why only some people whose mothers experienced complications during pregnancy eventually went on to develop schizophrenia.
In order to find their answer, Dr. Weinberger and his team looked at several pregnancy complications, including fetal growth restriction, infections, pre-eclampsia and other issues that may emerge during the event of childbirth.
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After conducting the study that involved nearly 2,900 people — some of whom had schizophrenia, some of whom did not but still shared certain similarities — Dr. Weinberger and his team discovered that the 108 genetic regions in a person's DNA that have been found previously to be connected to raising the risk of developing schizophrenia are also linked to whether or not people experienced complications in the womb or during childbirth.
To be more specific, the researchers discovered that around half of those genetic regions seem to be linked to how the placenta functions. Some of those regions also house genes that become active during pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction.
According to Elizabeth Tunbridge of the University of Oxford, the study could mean that if the fetus is accompanied by a "less efficient placenta," then the fetus may not be receiving the nutrients and oxygen needed for proper development.
Because some of those genetic regions that have been connected to schizophrenia are also linked to how the placenta functions, a not completely healthy placenta could then be a cause for why an individual develops schizophrenia later in life.
The "less efficient placenta" may facilitate the improper development of the brain, and that could open the door for the future development of schizophrenia.
With this latest discovery, Dr. Weinberger and his team have now turned their attention to trying to figure out how schizophrenia-linked placentas differ from ones that are not conducive to the mental disorder. If they can identify those differences, then they may also be able to come up with ways to improve the health of the placenta so that it will have no adverse effect on the development of the fetus' brain.
Aside from problematic placentas, other risk factors that could contribute to an individual developing schizophrenia include genetics, as already mentioned earlier. The National Institute of Mental Health also lists other risk factors including individuals being exposed to viruses, chemical imbalances in the brain especially those that involve the dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitters. Certain psychosocial factors may also contribute to an individual eventually developing schizophrenia.
At this point, treatments for schizophrenia are still focused on minimizing the effects of the disorder's symptoms. Currently known forms of treatment for the disorder include antipsychotic medication, psychosocial treatments and coordinated specialty care.
Friends and family members of individuals dealing with schizophrenia are urged to provide continuous support without also allowing dangerous behavior to go unchecked.
More news about any new discoveries made by Dr. Weinberger and his team related to schizophrenia should be made available in the future.
