Learning More About Schizophrenia

In the article "Scientists Made a Huge Genetic Discovery About Schizophrenia This Week" by Melissa Dahl, describes how schizophrenia affects individuals and the new discovery that was published in the journal Nature. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that can send a young mind spinning and become unattached with reality. It occurs in about one in 100 Americans and has only been around for about 100 years. This disorder tends to run in families, therefore suspicion has arisen about it being genetically related. A milestone was published on Wednesday by a group of top scientists, declaring they have opened the "black box" of schizophrenia. the findings were the following; a genetic stamp that people with schizophrenia inherit causes a normal process on brain development called synaptic pruning to go haywire. typically the pruning process in the brain helps seed up cognitive functioning, however in a schizophrenic brain it eliminates too many of those neurons and synapses. research has shown those with schizophrenia have fewer synaptic connections compared to those without the disorder. 

Now that scientists have discovered what causes schizophrenia, they can now study how to delay or even stop the disorder from forming. Its a major leap in this field of study.
Science of Us
Brain Disorders

The Aging Brain

     Aging has always been something of interest because there is no real distinction of whether aging is just a natural occurrence or if it is the result of disease. The ability to maintain cognitive development and abilities into old age are current aims for scientific studies. Without the strong protection the brain has, it is susceptible to vascular conditions, metabolic syndromes, and chronic stress. Scientists believe that studying cognitive aging is relevant to identifying how to intervene on aging and improve the quality of life.
   
     One study found IQ tests from Scotland from 1947 and had Scotland citizens that took those tests previously take them again, at 78 years old. From that study, it was found that participants in the IQ test at age 11's scores could predict about 50% of the variance in their IQ's at age 78. This study was interesting and is a good example of the work scientists are doing to try to link aging and cognitive function.

Main Article
Related Article