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Study Provides Clues to How Autism and Schizophrenia Develop

A study done with mice may have provided some clues about how disorders such as autism and schizophrenia develop. It seems that the genes that are connected to these two disorders might only be active for a short period of time while brain is developing. This could be a first step towards understanding more about the genetic links to the disorders. What causes autism? There have been several studies that have tried to determine the cause of autism. Many different potential factors have been identified that may, or may or may not, be a clue in the quest to find … Continue reading →

Could Childhood Mental Disorders Be Triggered by Strep?

In the mid 1990’s, doctors began noticing that some children who had strep ended up showing symptoms of sudden onset mental illness after recovering from the strep infection. This has led some doctors to wonder if antibiotics could help alleviate those disorders. It is an interesting concept. The strange situation happens something like this. A child, who has no signs or symptoms of any form of mental illness, catches a strep infection. He or she gets a case of strep throat, goes to the doctor, and is treated. The child misses a few days of school, but makes a full … Continue reading →

Prenatal Stress and Schizophrenia

Researchers have now uncovered a conclusive link between extreme stress during the early stages of pregnancy and the development of schizophrenia in the children of those mothers in later life. Schizophrenia is a complex disorder of the brain and is commonly passed down through the family chain, thus indicating a genetic link for the condition. Drugs usage and life stresses can also promote the development of schizophrenia in susceptible adults. But a recent study at New York University’s School of Medicine has proven conclusively that wartime stress is a trigger for the development of the condition in later life. Other … Continue reading →

Schizophrenia and VCFS

Never heard of VCFS? You’re not alone. VCFS (Velo-cardio-facial syndrome) is a relatively rare illness affecting one in 5000 children and can remain undiagnosed for years, putting strain on both sufferers and their families. The interesting aspect of this condition for researchers is that children with VCFS have an almost one in three chance of developing schizophrenia, the latter generally first manifesting between the ages of 15 and 25. VCFS has been a subject of genetic studies and has been isolated to an abnormality on chromosome 22, which in turn assists researchers in the area of schizophrenia to better understand … Continue reading →

Childhood schizophrenia

Any parent would be concerned if their child was experiencing voices or seeing objects or people that weren’t really there. Where there is disturbed social interaction, the presence of a voice or voices speaking in negative terms to and about the child, in conjunction with evidence of the child talking to him or herself, there could be cause for a diagnosis of childhood schizophrenia. Schizophrenia can be difficult to positively diagnose in adolescence and young adulthood. It is even more fraught with difficulties when dealing with young children. The age of the child and stage of development must be considered … Continue reading →

What is Schizophrenia?

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The public misconception of a schizophrenia sufferer as having a “split personality” has been pushed by Hollywood and novelists alike. Sufferers of this serious mental illness do not possess dual personalities, but the unfortunate stigma that is attached to schizophrenia and mental illness in general often precludes the general public having a thorough understanding of what this complex condition is all about. Schizophrenia affects roughly one in every hundred people, so it is hardly a rare illness. This proportion is consistent around the world, occurring in similar ratios in all races and socio-economic groups. It is no respecter of status … Continue reading →

What is Childhood Disintegrative Disorder?

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Imagine that your child had a normal birth, seemed to be a healthy infant, and passed all his normal developmental milestones until age two. Even from the age of two to four, he was a cheerful toddler and child, smiling, developing language, and using the toilet. Then, gradually, he started to deteriorate. He began losing interest in other people socially, and his use of language seemed to regress. He started soiling himself, and developed curious motor behaviors, like hand-flapping. Little by little, what was once a normal child now appears to be autistic in nature. This is the agonizing reality … Continue reading →

What’s it Like to Parent Two Mentally Ill Children?

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Several years ago, Susan and Michael Schofield learned that their daughter, Jani, had been born with schizophrenia. The couple had a second child, a son named Bodhi. At first, they believed that Bodhi was born without any mental illnesses. As time went on, they learned that Bodhi also has some mental health issues. What’s it like to parent not one, but two, mentally ill children? Michael and Susan Schofield decided to publicly share their story about parenting a child with schizophrenia when their daughter, Jani, was six years old. As an infant, Jani did not sleep for more than half … Continue reading →

FDA Approves Adasuve

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug called Adasuve. It was created by Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc., and is used to treat schitzophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is the first drug to treat those disorders that can be inhaled. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved a drug called Adasuve. According to Reuters this drug delivers loxapine, which is an older antipsychotic drug, via being inhaled. Adasuve passes through the lungs and into the blood stream faster than a pill. Right now, Loxapine is only available as an oral medication. The drug is used to treat schizophrenia and … Continue reading →

Actor Tony Curtis and Comedian Greg Giraldo Die

Hollywood lost two big talents this week. Screen legend Tony Curtis died Wednesday at his Las Vegas home of a cardiac arrest. He was 85. Curtis grew up in the Bronx and tragedy followed him throughout his childhood. The family was poor, briefly giving the children to an orphanage because they couldn’t feed them. His older brother Julius was killed at age 12 when he was hit by a truck, and both his mother and younger brother Robert suffered from schizophrenia. Curtis dropped out of high school to join the Navy during WWII. Once out of the military, Curtis decided … Continue reading →