Scientists have found a biological trace of schizophrenia

Now experts from King’s College London, Hammersmith Hospital and Imperial College London are closer to solving the mystery. In the journal Molecular Psychiatry, they published the results of a neuroimaging study that revealed: In patients with schizophrenia, iron and myelin, a substance that insulates nerve fibers and accelerates signal transmission, are deficient in some areas of the brain.

Iron is necessary for the brain for a variety of neural processes, including the synthesis of neurotransmitters. But if there is too much of it, oxidative stress occurs, damaging the cells. Therefore, the balance of this element is extremely important. Myelin, in turn, works as insulation for wires — without it, the signals between neurons slow down and become less accurate.

To test how these elements are related to schizophrenia, a team led by Dr. Luc Vano examined the brains of 85 patients and 86 healthy people. Using high-precision MRI techniques sensitive to iron and myelin, the magnetic susceptibility of tissues and the rate of diffusion of molecules in different areas of the brain were measured.

The result turned out to be unambiguous: in patients with schizophrenia, iron and myelin levels were reduced, especially in the structures responsible for coordination and motivation — the caudate nucleus, the shell and the pale globe. These zones are closely related to the regulation of thinking and movement, which makes them key in understanding the mechanism of the disease.

The researchers also noted that the disorders are particularly noticeable in areas where oligodendrocytes, the cells that create the myelin sheath, are active. This links myelin deficiency to cellular processes disrupted in schizophrenia and opens up new avenues for therapy.

“Now we plan to test the same biomarkers in patients with bipolar disorder and in people at risk of developing schizophrenia,— says Dr. Vano. “We also want to understand whether these indicators can predict the effectiveness of treatment.”

These results may be a turning point in the study of schizophrenia: instead of abstract “mental disorders”, scientists are increasingly seeing specific biological mechanisms — and this makes possible the emergence of new treatment approaches aimed not at suppressing symptoms, but at restoring brain function.