Scientists pinpoint schizophrenia genes; discovery may aid in diagnosis and treatment of mental illness

Scientists claimed Tuesday to have pinpointed the genes most responsible for schizophrenia in a breakthrough they say will allow better diagnosis and treatment of the debilitating mental illness.
In a study involving genetic information from thousands of schizophrenia patients as well as healthy controls, the researchers said they identified hundreds of genes that can show who is most at risk.
“We broke the genetic code for schizophrenia, identifying many of the genes involved and how they work together to produce the illness,” study author Alexander Niculescu of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis told AFP.
“By better understanding the genetic and biological basis of the illness, we can develop better tests for it as well as better treatments.”
Such tests could be used to determine whether children in families with schizophrenia were at risk of developing the illness, said Niculescu.
“If they are determined to be at higher risk, then they would be followed more closely by doctors, told the avoid stress, alcohol and drugs, treated with counselling, nutritional supplements (like Omega-3 fish oil capsules) and even anti-psychotic medications early on to prevent the development of full-blown illness.”
The findings are published in the Nature journal Molecular Psychiatry.