New study highlights developmental origins of schizophrenia

Dutch scientists have identified a gene associated with schizophrenia that plays a role in brain development and could explain why the condition arises.

Carried out by Rutgers University, the study revealed that too much protein expressed by the NOS1AP gene – which has been associated with schizophrenia – can cause abnormalities in brain structure and faulty connections between nerve cells.

This prevents them from communicating properly and leads to brain cells failing to branch out properly in the neocortex, the portion of the brain responsible for skills such as spatial reasoning, conscious thought, motor commands, language development and sensory perception.

Based on these findings, it could be possible for drug therapies to be developed that target the disease in adolescents, when schizophrenia is thought to develop and symptoms start to appear.

Bonnie Firestein, professor at the university's department of cell biology and neuroscience, said: "The next step would be to let the disease develop in the laboratory and try to treat the over-expression of the protein with an antipsychotic therapy to see if it works."

Schizophrenia is one of the most common serious mental health conditions, affecting around one in 100 people in their lifetimes. It is characterised by hallucinations, delusion and muddled thoughts.