Turkish scientists identify chemical leading to schizophrenia

ISTANBUL. February 17. KAZINFORM Turkish scientists have discovered in animal testing that a compound named agmatine released by the brain in excessive amount leads to schizophrenia, a psychological disorder seen in one out of every 100 people with no known cure.

Professor Tayfun Uzbay, the Gьlhane Military Academy of Medicine (GATA) department of medical pharmacology head, and his team of doctors found that rats, when injected with high amounts of agmatine, model schizophrenia, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. GATA's January news bulletin noted that the study was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TЬBЭTAK) and that both the European Neuropsychopharmacology and the Journal of Psychopharmacology agreed to publish the results. Experts say schizophrenia is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions or disorganized speech and thinking with significant social or occupational dysfunction; Kazinform refers to Today's Zaman. Medication used for the treatment of schizophrenia today helps schizophrenics reduce the abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality; however, a definite treatment is not possible. Since the cause of the disorder is not known, the effects of the medications on people lead to varied results. According to scientists, medication helps reduce or eliminate the symptoms of schizophrenia, but when patients develop an addiction to the medication, the symptoms continue despite the use of medication. At the end of the five-year-long study, GATA doctors found that rats injected with a high dose of agmatine developed schizophrenia and that the use of medication did not help treat the condition. Turkish scientists received a patent for their research from the Turkish Patent Institute (TPF) and a "patent of international examination" from the Austria Patent Office. TPF President Professor Habip Asan said the patent given to Professor Uzbay and his team's study would be valid for 20 years from its application date of Oct. 31, 2007. According to studies conducted so far, genetics, early environment, neurobiology, psychological and social processes are important contributors to schizophrenia; some recreational and prescription drugs appear to cause or worsen symptoms. Current psychiatric research is focused on the role of neurobiology, but no single organic cause has been found. Due to the many possible combinations of symptoms, there is debate about whether the diagnosis represents a single disorder or a number of discrete syndromes.