Viral infection exacerbates cognition in schizophrenia
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2008.07.017
MedWire News: Schizophrenia patients exposed to the cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) show greater cognitive impairments than their unexposed peers, study results show.
The findings add further support to the notion that certain infectious agents may contribute the development and pathology of schizophrenia, possibly through central nervous system inflammation.
Perinatal or neonatal infection with viruses such as rubella and coxsackie virus are uncommon but can substantially increase schizophrenia risk, Konasale Prasad (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, USA) and colleagues note in the journal Schizophrenia Research.
It is less clear, however, if more common agents such as CMV, HSV1, mumps virus, toxoplasma gondi (TOX), and influenza play a role.
Prasad and team previously found grey matter volume reductions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus of first-episode schizophrenia patients with serological evidence of HSV1 exposure.
Noting that these brain areas play a role in cognition, they decided to investigate a potential link with viral infection in 329 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
They obtained serum from patients and performed enzyme based immunoassays for IgG antibodies against HSV1, HSV2, CMV, and TOX.
Patients were also assessed using the Trail Making Test (TMT), a widely-used, two-part test of cognitive function. In TMT part A, individuals connect numbered circles in sequence scattered across a page; both the time taken to complete the test and the number of errors are recorded by an examiner. In TMT part B, individuals connect labeled circles switching from numbers to letters and in sequence.
Individuals with serological evidence of exposure to CMV showed impaired performance on TMT part A time to completion, which, the authors explain, is a measure of visual search, working memory, and psychomotor speed.
Both CMV and HSV1 were significantly associated with increased errors on TMT part B, showing impaired ability in set-switching, cognitive flexibility, and executive function.
HSV2 and TOX exposure measures were not associated with any of the cognitive functions evaluated using TMT.
Prasad et al comment: “Treatment of HSV1 and CMV exposed schizophrenia patients with antivirals could potentially improve cognitive function and clinical outcomes.
“Randomized controlled studies will be necessary to determine the clinical benefit of such treatment.”
Хотя… это плохая ссылка для crossa - в цитате НЛ как cure расматривают, просто отвратительная
Да, рассматривают.. галоперидол. Всё было бы шоколадно, если б не некоторые побочные действия этого cure’а. Так что лучше пожар предупредить, чем потушить.. чтобы не затушить чего лишнего.
Вот и “роют” такую экзотику как токсоплазма и вирусы.