Smoking May Be a Risk Factor for Schizophrenia [View all]

[MindMover]

March 30, 2012 — New research suggests that smoking alters the impact of a schizophrenia risk gene — the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene, which is known to play a key role in early brain development.

The study showed that healthy adults who carry TCF4 variants and who smoke process acoustic stimuli in a similarly deficient way as adults with schizophrenia. And the impact is stronger the more the person smokes.

The research was published online March 26 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

"Smoking might be a relevant risk factor for schizophrenia and should be considered when genetic risk factors of psychiatric disorders are assessed," first author Boris B. Quednow, PhD, from University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich in Switzerland, told Medscape Medical News.

In addition, "a set of markers, including smoking, electrophysiological parameters, and genes, might help to identify and predict subtypes of schizophrenia, which may lead us also to new treatment options," he said.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/761252?sssdmh=dm1.772315&src=nldne

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