This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/523322-gray-matter-thinning-pyschosis-link/
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Researchers detect link between teenage brain thinning and onset of psychosis later in life | Researchers detect link between teenage brain thinning and onset of psychosis later in life |
| (4 months later) | |
| Scientists in the US have discovered a link between differences in the thickness of gray matter in teenagers’ brains and a subsequent increase in the risk of developing psychosis later in life. | Scientists in the US have discovered a link between differences in the thickness of gray matter in teenagers’ brains and a subsequent increase in the risk of developing psychosis later in life. |
| The findings could pave the way for earlier detection, through more focused analysis of MRI scans, as well as more effective and targeted treatment for patients. | The findings could pave the way for earlier detection, through more focused analysis of MRI scans, as well as more effective and targeted treatment for patients. |
| Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Maastricht University in the Netherlands examined the MRI scans of 3,169 volunteers with an average age of 21. | Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Maastricht University in the Netherlands examined the MRI scans of 3,169 volunteers with an average age of 21. |
| Some 1,792 of the scans were of brains of patients already deemed to be at “clinical high risk for developing psychosis.” Sadly, 253 of the study’s participants went on to develop psychosis within two years. | Some 1,792 of the scans were of brains of patients already deemed to be at “clinical high risk for developing psychosis.” Sadly, 253 of the study’s participants went on to develop psychosis within two years. |
| The researchers noticed a causal link between a higher psychosis risk and lower overall cortical thickness and thinned gray matter in the temporal and frontal lobe regions of the participants’ brains. | The researchers noticed a causal link between a higher psychosis risk and lower overall cortical thickness and thinned gray matter in the temporal and frontal lobe regions of the participants’ brains. |
| Gray matter is the thin outer layer of our brains where the vast majority of our higher cognitive functions take place, including thinking, perceiving and processing language. | Gray matter is the thin outer layer of our brains where the vast majority of our higher cognitive functions take place, including thinking, perceiving and processing language. |
| While cortical thinning occurs naturally as humans age, the degree to which this thinning occurs has now been linked with the risk of developing psychosis for the first time. | While cortical thinning occurs naturally as humans age, the degree to which this thinning occurs has now been linked with the risk of developing psychosis for the first time. |
| Psychosis is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations where patients often become increasingly disconnected from reality. These can include hearing voices, which makes sense given how much of the human language faculty is located in the thinning gray matter. | Psychosis is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations where patients often become increasingly disconnected from reality. These can include hearing voices, which makes sense given how much of the human language faculty is located in the thinning gray matter. |
| “These results were, in a sense, sobering,” says psychiatrist Maria Jalbrzikowski, from the University of Pittsburgh. “[O]ur data set includes 600 percent more high-risk youth who developed psychosis than any existing study, allowing us to see statistically significant results in brain structure.” | “These results were, in a sense, sobering,” says psychiatrist Maria Jalbrzikowski, from the University of Pittsburgh. “[O]ur data set includes 600 percent more high-risk youth who developed psychosis than any existing study, allowing us to see statistically significant results in brain structure.” |
| In addition to providing avenues for honing MRI analysis, the findings could also help develop a risk score for psychosis, and allow researchers to more accurately identify different types, after more detailed mapping of gray matter loss and the mechanism behind it. | In addition to providing avenues for honing MRI analysis, the findings could also help develop a risk score for psychosis, and allow researchers to more accurately identify different types, after more detailed mapping of gray matter loss and the mechanism behind it. |
| The team will continue research into brain development in adolescence over time with a view to unlocking possible other underlying mechanisms which may also trigger psychosis or other conditions. | The team will continue research into brain development in adolescence over time with a view to unlocking possible other underlying mechanisms which may also trigger psychosis or other conditions. |
| Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! | Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! |
| Dear readers and commenters, | |
| We have implemented a new engine for our comment section. We hope the transition goes smoothly for all of you. Unfortunately, the comments made before the change have been lost due to a technical problem. We are working on restoring them, and hoping to see you fill up the comment section with new ones. You should still be able to log in to comment using your social-media profiles, but if you signed up under an RT profile before, you are invited to create a new profile with the new commenting system. | |
| Sorry for the inconvenience, and looking forward to your future comments, | |
| RT Team. |