MRI Shows the Brain of Schizophrenic Patients Trying to Repair Itself

Like several other mental health disorders, schizophrenia has no known cure yet. The condition, brought by various biological and environmental factors, has been difficult to manage, and so far, only its symptoms are addressed. Medications are prescribed, for instance, to help control a patient’s tendency to develop anxiety and help them calm down during stressful episodes.

The challenging nature of schizophrenia may, thus, make patients and their loved ones hopeless, but an interesting recent discovery may shed some hope. A new study published in the Psychology Medicine journal, wherein the researchers conducted MRI scans and a covariance analysis, found evidence suggesting that the brains of schizophrenia patients demonstrated a subtle increase in tissue over time. The researchers believe that this can be the brain’s way of rescuing itself or limiting further damage caused by schizophrenia.

The Consequences of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is considered a degenerative illness, and among its effects are the reduction of brain tissue and the inability to tell wrong from right. Without a cure, the damage worsens, and the patient’s perception of reality also distorts further. In other words, the patient’s cognitive and functional deficits are aggravated as certain regions of the brain decrease in thickness. This leads to the patient further withdrawing from society or becoming more hostile or suspicious of others. Some patients can also become depressed, eventually fail to express their emotions appropriately, and neglect their personal hygiene.

Treating and Monitoring the Condition

The researchers believe that their study can pave the way to more possibilities for targeted treatments for schizophrenia patients. Some of the experts believe that they can harness the brain’s compensatory mechanism to some extent and turn it into a treatment for patients to stop or even reverse the development of the psychotic disease. MRI scans would then be instrumental in examining patients and assessing their progress over time.

Sources:
Brains Of Schizophrenia Patients Attempt To Self-Repair, MRI Scans Reveal, Tech Times, May 28, 2016
MRI Study Reveals Brain of Schizophrenic Patients Attempt to Repair Itself, Nature World News, May 30, 2016