SATURDAY, Mar 29, (News Locale) - Rare and hitherto undiscovered genetic blemishes may indicate the risk of a person developing schizophrenia in future, a new study by researchers at the University of Washington and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has suggested.

Earlier studies have also suggested genetic mutations as being the cause of schizophrenia. However the current study finds that the genetic flaws are not so common as previously though an infact may exist in just sbout 10 percent of schizophrenia sufferers.

The genes implicated in the disorder relate to brain development and neurological function. Some of the DNA duplications and deletions found in schizophrenia sufferers are so unique that researchers theorize they may exist only in a handful of patients.

The researchers analyzed the DNA samples of 150 people with schizophrenia and 268 healthy people who were used as controls.

Genetic defects typically occurred in 15 percent of those suffering from Schizophrenia, while they were seen in just about 5 percent of healthy people. Reporting in the latest edition of the journal Science, the researchers said that these genetic deletions were more likely to occur in a large number in young schizophrenia sufferers.

Schizophrenia is a disease that skews up the thought process and behavior of those affected. The disorder is characterized by hallucinations, delusions and psychotic behavior and is estimated to affect 1 percent of the population worldwide.

Initially the condition was attributed to parental neglect, but recent advances have pointed to a specific genetic root. Conditions like emotional trauma and childhood infections can also increase the risk of schizophrenia. The worst thing is that there is no familial history in schizophrenia patients.

Studies like the above one help understand the specific genetic causes behind this debilitating psychiatric disorder so that one day treatments may be tailor-made to detect and treat schizophrenia.

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