Schizophrenia 'could be prevented by calming overactive immune system'

[natasa778]

Researchers at the Medical Research Council’s Clinical Sciences Centre, based at Imperial College London, in collaboration with colleagues at King’s College London used brain scans to measure levels of activity of immune cells in the brain.

These cells, known as microglia, respond to damage and infection in the brain, and are also responsible for rearranging connections between brain cells so they work as well as possible; a process known as pruning.

...
"For the first time we have evidence that there is over-activity even before full onset of the illness.

"If we could reduce activity [before full-blown illness] then we might be able to prevent the illness - that needs to be tested, but is one key implication [of the research

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/hea...nted-by-calming-overactive-immune-system.html

 

[Sidereal]

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.14101358

Link to the original study. Is this the same PET technique that was used in the Japanese study to detect microglial activation in ME?

Microglial Activity in People at Ultra High Risk of Psychosis and in Schizophrenia: An [11C]PBR28 PET Brain Imaging Study

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine whether microglial activity, measured using translocator-protein positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, is increased in unmedicated persons presenting with subclinical symptoms indicating that they are at ultra high risk of psychosis and to determine whether microglial activity is elevated in schizophrenia after controlling for a translocator-specific genetic polymorphism.

Method:

The authors used the second-generation radioligand [11C]PBR28 and PET to image microglial activity in the brains of participants at ultra high risk for psychosis. Participants were recruited from early intervention centers. The authors also imaged a cohort of patients with schizophrenia and matched healthy subjects for comparison. In total, 56 individuals completed the study. At screening, participants were genotyped to account for the rs6971 polymorphism in the gene encoding the 18Kd translocator protein. The main outcome measure was total gray matter [11C]PBR28 binding ratio, representing microglial activity.

Results:

[11C]PBR28 binding ratio in gray matter was elevated in ultra-high-risk participants compared with matched comparison subjects (Cohen’s d >1.2) and was positively correlated with symptom severity (r=0.730). Patients with schizophrenia also demonstrated elevated microglial activity relative to matched comparison subjects (Cohen’s d >1.7).

Conclusions:

Microglial activity is elevated in patients with schizophrenia and in persons with subclinical symptoms who are at ultra high risk of psychosis and is related to at-risk symptom severity. These findings suggest that neuroinflammation is linked to the risk of psychosis and related disorders, as well as the expression of subclinical symptoms.

 

[paolo]

The ligand used in the study by Nakatomi et al. in patients with CFS seems to be different from the one used in this interesting study in psychosis. Nevertheless, I guess that these two studies are similar, as they both give an evaluation of microglia activation through the measure of concentration of the ligand in the brain.

I've always thought that negative symptoms described in Schizophrenia (poor concentration, fatigue, cognitive decline) are similar -if not identical- to some features of CFS. On the other hand positive symptoms that define psychosis (delusions, paranoia) are rare or absent in CFS.

 

[ahmo]

Thanks for this interesting article. I have AG on that snp listed. 7 or 8 years ago I had a toxic psychosis. It built over a couple weeks. As I've come to understand more about methylation, I attributed it primarily to the glutathione I'd been taking in the form of denatured whey. This was a part of Teitelbaum's suggestions, which appear to be mostly about energizing a fatigued body. I also ate gluten, sulfur, high histamine, things I now know are toxic for me. My brain would have been on fire. I guess I can count myself very lucky that schizophrenia was not my fate. (Nor MS, which 2 close relations had)