It is clear that nicotine normalizes brain activity disorder that causes schizophrenia

ByFranck Michel

A researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder announced the result that nicotine normalizes genetically induced brain dysfunction associated with schizophrenia. This discovery may lead to understanding why there are a lot of smokers.

Nicotine reverses hypofrontality in animal models of addiction and schizophrenia: Nature Medicine: Nature Research
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.4274.html

Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia - Neuroscience News
http://neurosciencenews.com/schizophrenia-nicotine-brain-activity-5995/

A treatment method using non-toxic nicotine, which may be a new treatment for schizophrenia, which is said to be suffering by about 51 million people worldwide, is published by Science magazineNature MedicineIt was announced in. Behavioral genetics laboratory at the University of Colorado BoulderInstitute for Behavioral GeneticsJerry Stitzel, who is a researcher working at IBG and who engaged in the study said, "Our study shows that certain genes are responsible for schizophrenia and nicotine It will clarify the mechanism by which the obstacle can be improved. " The research leader has served as a researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, FranceUbe · MascosHe is.

ByRicardo Liberato

"Hypofrontality" in which the firing of neurons in the prefrontal cortex of the brain diminishes is the fundamental cause of attention, memory ability, judgment, and understanding of verbal explanation seen in patients with schizophrenia It is considered. In addition, by conventional gene-related studies, it has become clear that genes called "CHRNA 5"Genetic variationHave been shown to be highly likely to suffer from schizophrenia. However, its mechanism remained unknown.

Therefore, in this study, we observed the brain of a mouse genetically mutated in "CHRNA 5" with the most advanced brain imaging technique and observed whether "hypofrontality" would occur or not. In the study, "hypofrontality" was observed in the brain of a mouse genetically mutated in "CHRNA 5", and symptoms of schizophrenia have also been confirmed through behavioral tests. As a result of several experiments, it became clear that the genetic mutation of "CHRNA 5" caused "hypofrontality" and it is highly likely that it plays an important role in schizophrenia.

Furthermore, when mice of schizophrenia were given daily nicotine, the inactive brain activity of mice became active in just 2 days after administration of nicotine and continued administration of nicotine for a further week, It seems that the activity of the brain has become normal. From this, it is also revealed that cognitive function returns to normal by nicotine acting on the nicotine receptor in the brain.

ByRyan Mannie

And it is also clear that people with genetic mutation in "CHRNA 5" tend to smoke often. Also, 80 to 90% of patients with schizophrenia are smokers, mostly heavy smokers. For this reason, researchers speculate that schizophrenic smokers may have smoked to take nicotine to normalize their brain activity.

According to the research team "hypofrontality"Attention deficit hyperactivity disorderYaBipolar disorderIt seems to have something to do with the mental condition like that, and eventually I am planning to develop medicines using nicotine and use it in many ways.