May 2010s edition of Schizophrenia Research publishes research from a study undertaken by the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Medicine revealing that certain cognitive disorders commonly found in patients with schizophrenia may be aggravated by the presence of the HSV-1 herpes virus. Doctors have known for some time that some features of schizophrenia concern cognitive brain functions like concentration, learning and memory. Such symptoms often present in patients months, even years before more traditional symptoms of delusion or hallucination. But study leader, Dr David J. Schretien says: Were finding that some portion of cognitive impairment, usually blamed solely on the disease of schizophrenia, might actually be a combination of schizophrenia and prior exposure to herpes simplex virus 1 infection, which reproduces in the brain. Previous studies had shown that schizophrenia patients with HSV-1 antibodies presented more serious cognitive defects than those without. Other studies had shown HSV-1 infected patients to have decreased brain volume. By way of investigation, Schretiens team tested 40 schizophrenia patients, 25 with HSV-1 antibodies and 15 without. Patients were set identical cognitive brain tasks measuring co-ordination, verbal memory and organizational skills before undergoing an MRI brain scan. As in previous tests, patients with HSV-1 antibodies performed significantly worse than those without, but the MRI scans also revealed decreased brain volume in those same patients. Dr Schretien concludes that by treating schizophrenic patients with antiviral in addition to standard medication, it might be possible to reduce the risk or the extent of cognitive defects. About 70 to 90 of the US population has HSV-1. No wonder Schizophrenia is rampant these days. ;-) Sorry, but I just don't like those alarming studies.

May 2010s edition of Schizophrenia Research publishes research from a study undertaken by the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Medicine revealing that certain cognitive disorders commonly found in patients with schizophrenia may be aggravated by the presence of the HSV-1 herpes virus. Doctors have known for some time that some features of schizophrenia concern cognitive brain functions like concentration, learning and memory. Such symptoms often present in patients months, even years before more traditional symptoms of delusion or hallucination. But study leader, Dr David J. Schretien says: Were finding that some portion of cognitive impairment, usually blamed solely on the disease of schizophrenia, might actually be a combination of schizophrenia and prior exposure to herpes simplex virus 1 infection, which reproduces in the brain. Previous studies had shown that schizophrenia patients with HSV-1 antibodies presented more serious cognitive defects than those without. Other studies had shown HSV-1 infected patients to have decreased brain volume. By way of investigation, Schretiens team tested 40 schizophrenia patients, 25 with HSV-1 antibodies and 15 without. Patients were set identical cognitive brain tasks measuring co-ordination, verbal memory and organizational skills before undergoing an MRI brain scan. As in previous tests, patients with HSV-1 antibodies performed significantly worse than those without, but the MRI scans also revealed decreased brain volume in those same patients. Dr Schretien concludes that by treating schizophrenic patients with antiviral in addition to standard medication, it might be possible to reduce the risk or the extent of cognitive defects. About 70 to 90 of the US population has HSV-1. No wonder Schizophrenia is rampant these days. ;-) Sorry, but I just don't like those alarming studies.