ScienceAlert: Brains That Age Faster May Drive Schizophrenia, Research Finds
What causes schizophrenia? This severe mental illness, which affects over 20 million people worldwide and is characterised by recurrent hallucinations and delusions, often begins to emerge in the period from adolescence to early adulthood. It’s a complex disorder that affects almost every area of life.
Current theories about why schizophrenia develops suggest it may be linked to changes in brain development during this critical period of emerging adulthood.
Schizophrenia is also thought to be similar to conditions such as dyslexia, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD), which are neurodevelopmental but usually manifest in childhood.
However, our research suggests that accelerated brain ageing could be another potential driver in the development of schizophrenia – and this can be measured using a simple blood test.
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Noticeable symptoms of normal, healthy brain ageing might include a bit more forgetfulness, slower reaction time, and difficulty juggling multiple tasks. Such changes are very different from the patterns seen in illnesses like schizophrenia where, our study shows, the decline is faster and more severe, indicating an older brain age than would be expected from the patient’s chronological age.
UPI: Three more states confirm measles cases
Louisiana and Virginia confirmed their first cases of the illness on Saturday after Missouri added their names to the list of states with confirmed cases a day prior. Each state confirmed one case and all had recent history of international travel.
Last Updated: 20.Apr.2025 23:58 EDT
