Psychosis, which includes diseases like schizophrenia, costs society billions and significantly disrupts the lives of those suffering from it.
A groundbreaking study from Monash University could bring us a step closer to understanding how to tackle this disruptive mental health issue.
Researchers have identified key areas in the brain where changes linked to psychosis seem to start, offering hope for more targeted treatments.
What is Psychosis and How is it Studied?
Psychosis is a mental health condition where people experience distorted thoughts and perceptions, which can include hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms can be severe and life-altering.
The Monash study, led by Dr. Sid Chopra, looked at changes in the brain that happen as psychosis develops. Researchers used special brain scans called MRIs to look at 534 people who were at different stages of psychotic illness.
Key Findings: The Importance of the Hippocampus
The study showed that a part of the brain called the hippocampus might be where these changes first happen. The hippocampus is a critical area of the brain that helps us form and store memories.
According to Dr. Chopra, the changes related to psychosis seem to start here and then spread to other parts of the brain over time. Understanding this could help in developing treatments that focus on this particular area.
“This finding could guide therapies that target this area, potentially limiting the impact of the illness or even reducing the risk of psychosis onset,” Dr. Chopra said.
The researchers used math models to predict what happens to brain matter in people at different stages of psychosis. This helped them identify that the hippocampus seems to be a central point for these changes.
Separating Medicine from Disease Effects
One significant part of the study was its ability to separate the brain changes caused by antipsychotic medicines from those caused by the disease itself.
Most studies on psychosis include people who are already on medication, which makes it hard to understand what changes are from the disease and what changes are due to the medicine.
According to Dr. Chopra, “Our model was able to account for both medication-related and illness-related brain changes. This means that the structure of brain networks is a fundamental limit on both types of changes in psychosis.”
What This Means for the Future
This study opens new doors for understanding how psychosis affects the brain and how it progresses over time.
Knowing that the hippocampus could be a starting point for these changes gives researchers a specific area to target when developing new treatments.
Dr. Chopra and his team hope to use their findings to identify treatment targets and to predict how the illness might evolve in individual people.
So, while psychosis continues to be a complex and challenging mental health issue, this research brings a glimmer of hope.
It points the way to more effective, focused treatments that could improve the lives of those living with psychosis.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Psychiatry.
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