\Researchers have successfully disrupted a genetic chain of events in a mouse model of schizophrenia and reversed memory deficits, one of the disorder's most difficult-to-treat symptoms. This discovery--which builds upon decades of early-stage research--could lead to more effective therapies for the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder that affects more than 21 million people worldwide.
In a paper published today in the journal Neuron, scientists at Columbia's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) used a chemical compound to regrow connections between brain cells, or neurons, which in turn restored memory deficits. The abnormal or stunted growth of neurons in the brain's memory centers is a key indicator of schizophrenia.
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