Research undertaken by Thomas Lunt with support from A/P Bruce Russell, School of Pharmacy Esperanz Summer Research Scholar
The future onset of psychosis may soon be able to be predicted with a simple 30 minute scan; a study being conducted at the University of Otago aims to create a new tool using existing technology that will be able to predict if someone will develop schizophrenia later in life. The study uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brain structure and chemistry of 90 participants aged 17-19 from the surrounding Dunedin area. The brains of those deemed at risk of schizophrenia then will be compared to those of control participants and any significant changes will be quantified to provide an objective measure of schizophrenia risk. A 1 year follow up period will be then observing any transition into psychosis and provide a measure of how accurate this screening method is at predicting the transition into psychosis. Not only will this study provide an objective measure of schizophrenia risk but will also provide more insight and a greater understanding of the physiological mechanism behind schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that among other things causes hallucinations, intense paranoia, behavioural problems, difficulties with thinking and a suicide rate 10 times higher than the average person. There is no cure for schizophrenia, and treatments are only partially effective with side effects that might be considered worse than schizophrenia. The best treatment for schizophrenia, as well as most medical/psychiatric conditions, is early intervention, to stall or stop the downward spiral of the disorder. This study hopes to provide the means for early detection and therefore intervention, which could potentially help millions of people manage their psychosis. Any results from this study will also aid the scientific community in developing a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms behind schizophrenia, especially in the early stages for which there is little knowledge of at this stage.
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