Researchers identify treatable mechanism in patients with schizophrenia

They have also been able to show that the antibiotic minocycline inhibits the degradation and that treatment in adolescence can be linked to a reduced risk of developing schizophrenia. The study is being published in the journal Nature Neuroscience .

3 Likes

So our synapses are bushes that get pruned too much or too little. This confuses me sometimes.

1 Like

Why can’t it be both? Compare it to a strawberry bush. If you let it grow too much the berries will be more but smaller. if you prune it too much then they will be few but larger, thus too many thoughts or too few but grander which are examples of racing thoughts and the opposite delusions of grandeur.

If life doesn’t garden you well then you will not flower to your best. :wink:

1 Like

Wasn’t there just a study that minocycline use in adolescents (such as for acne) did not predict changes in rates of mental illness?

1 Like

@labratmat
While definitely very plastic, your parallel between a developing human brain and a strawberry bush cannot capture the complexity of the former. Adolescents are more prone to taking oversized risks, they are also very emotional and creative. It’s a mix of high sensitivity and enormous innovative potential. We are not yet sure if during this period the brain is adjusting itself as a result of genetic pre-programming or life experiences, or both. Maybe in the future we will develop preemtive training regimens for children deemed at risk based on genetic markers. We might find ways to increase their resilience to stress and assist in their coming of age without the use of medications.

I used to be on Minocycline for acne and Olanzapine for my Schizophrenia symptom, there was one time ive stopped taking my anti-psychotic but still using Minocycline for acne and… I got back to the hospital psych ward. But on the acne side i dont use Minocycline anymore as my acne just stopped showing up.

1 Like