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PREVENTING SCHIZOPHRENIA
PREVENTING SCHIZOPHRENIA
ANCHOR LEAD: TRYING TO PREVENT SCHIZOPHRENIA IS SO FAR PROVING DISAPPOINTING, ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
People who develop schizophrenia usually have a range of symptoms beforehand, including suspiciousness, bizarre thoughts or grandiosity, eventually leading to psychosis. A recent study looked at whether trying to prevent psychosis with medications could stave off schizophrenia. Mark Riddle, a child psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, says the results were disappointing.
RIDDLE: Medicines used in this study have significant side effects. Some of these side effects are particularly problematic for young people, for example, weight gain, insulin resistance and potentially prediabetic syndrome that the younger you start these medications and the longer you take them the more likely that is. Having said that, we do want to applaud efforts to intervene very early to try to prevent or minimize the terrible consequences of a chronic psychiatric illness like schizophrenia. :31
Riddle says that the goal of prevention is well worth pursuing but may be best served by the development of a new class of medicines. I’m Elizabeth Tracey reporting.
